Carbon DA addresses hazing incident
Carbon County District Attorney Michael Greek addressed an alleged hazing incident at Lehighton Area Middle School, noting that it is still under investigation by Lehighton Borough Police.
Lehighton Area School District solicitor Eric Filer detailed a conversation he had with Greek on Wednesday.
“He called to say he was aware of the incident and the petition from the public for his office to perform an investigation,” Filer said. “The district attorney’s office does not perform investigations, but he has been in constant contact with Lehighton police.”
Social media reports have described the incident as a sexual assault involving a broomstick, but neither district officials nor police have gone into detail on the matter.
“DA Greek informed me that when the investigation is closed, if charges need to be brought, the appropriate charges will be filed,” Filer said. “Because it involves minors, however, he said the information would be sealed and never publicly available.”
Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said immediately after the administration was notified, Lehighton School Police were contacted, along with the Lehighton Borough Police.
“The district considers any concerning allegation regarding students or staff with the utmost seriousness,” he said earlier this month, “and will complete a thorough investigation within the guidelines of the policy and procedures. The district continues to make every effort to assure all students and staff have a safe and healthy learning environment.”
Pressed on the issue by parents at Monday night’s meeting, Cleaver said the district is legally prohibited from addressing an individual student’s punishment for a particular incident.
“There are a lot of protected rights for children,” he said. “Even if your child is bullied or a victim, we can’t discuss with you the punishment for the other child or children involved.”
Comments
Within the jurisdiction of the district are many questions that will need to be answered so policy(s) can be adjusted if needed. This just might be an issue of properly enforcing existing policy.
Did any student(s) tell anyone prior to Dec 4?
Was this historical team behavior, attempts at tribe pride?
What were the motivating factors to such heinous acts?
How did the child get access to the building?
Where was the supervision?
Did the athletic committee know about the gap in supervision? If not why, if so, why did they allow it?
How were the shortfalls in judgment not uncovered in the hiring process?
I trust these actions occured unsupervised, heaven help us all if an adult was present when this happened. Yet, how could this happen if an adult person was present?
How long was the lapse in supervision?
Hard to believe student this age kept such things to themselves for months, and only spoke up in Dec? What sparked the cry for help weeks later?
When is the building opened and how long after practice did it stay open?
What questions does the stakeholders have?
All these things, and a change to the policy(s) will help the district get prevent issues in the future.
How will this district get insurance in the future, if we need to self insure, that could cost us big bucks.
Will the immoral board learn that proper oversight mitigates almost all hazing, bullying, injuries, etc.
As for the 'boys will be boys' BS, anyone thinking that way anymore is on thre wrong side of history. Adult supervision and a proper moral education helps boys become proper adults. No one, absolutely no one, needs that kind of childhood. Such good ole boy stupidity sickens me.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Sad how you accept and elevated some of the most unnecessary parts of team activities that add no value to those with a moral center.
So, yes, I played sports, many actually, team and individual. And was a paid coached HS boys teams, HS Girls teams. In College I coached their teams as a volunteer.
In no way is abuse, hazing, fights and sexual abuse part of high school or college sports. (NHL and boxing aside).
The shortsightedness attitudes of Wayne Wentz, Steve Holland and others on the athletic committee should have known better and not be discounting or promoting such activities as 'boys will be boys' or 'ok' on any level. Larry Stern, I believe was a wrestler, and he too should not be discounting these events, or blocking lawful transparency. And once the truth is revealed to the stakeholders, I feel our Superintendent's actions will be seen differently. By diverting the attention of these heinous conditions occuring within our schools, and not deal with them using lawful transparency, well that is just morally unacceptable.
Children needs coaching, supervision and a focus of individual improvement. The team is strongest with strong individuals.
The gauntlet, as it were, is archaic on its face or in the locker room. Please do not apply for a position at LASD.
Regrettably, I feel most concerned about the district board providing a blind-trust when hiring. That is where the entire board should be the gauntlet and provide final interviews prior to hire.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
Luckily the state isn't as dumb and an anti-hazing bill is headed to the house.
It will get the students that idiots like EXO45 support out of the community.
EXO45, Wayne Wentz, Larry Stern, Steve Holland and even our Superintendent need to get on the right side of history. Adults support the best in students, provide support, supervision and PREVENT HARM from the proper use of experience.
Anyone that passed 8 grade and read Lord of the Flies knows this.
The stakeholders need to review all these problems, as they appear systemic.
Protect the students and save the community. Failures of supervision, moral guidance and compliance with policy and law only harm the students.
The cover-up in this situation was a big part of problem and we need to the review the lack of lawful transparency to ensure it never happens again. We had multiple parent express multiple incidents, this is unacceptable.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
We all agreed. There is no need for helicopter showers by creaping teacher, coachers or good ole boys on the board seeking to capture old thrills.
Also, most agree, participation awards do not garner the same respect as a district, state, or Olympic metal. Yet, they all have their place and non are furthered by a bunch of unsupervised children abusing children.
So, there is also no need for discipline to be applied by students on other students. Our policy does not allow such immorality, and LASD policy is law.
Steve Holland, Wayne Wentz, Larry Stern and Superintendent Cleaver have no right or authority to supercede school policy. The directors have a lawful obligation to act with fidelity, and I find them to be irresponsible in so many ways. Their lack of action tells volumes.
When the hometown team rally behind them despite their actions and failures will be a tell to why they chose them to be elected. They are Rubber-stampers, and failed to protect the students. Do you find them as responsible, thought out individuals?
The athletic committee should be glad handing, and yet they failed to ensure the students safety. UGH!
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Just a reminder to the community, all those people that work at the school are paid with tax dollars, they work for the tax payers, and they can be removed by the tax payers.
Also, the board is supposed to be a public servant of the stakehoders, not a rubber-stamper of the administration.
This board completely FAILED their community in my opinion.
Failed to provide safety of students
Fail to correct bad acts by staff
Failed to create a balanced Budget
Failed to fix the Debt
Failed to properly oversee Solictor
Failed to follow the Insurance selection process
Failed to Execute board mandates
Lack of transparency
These neighborhood directors failed their neighbors, and now it is apparent the we have injured students and financial ruin from overconsumption.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Follow the law, be lawfully transparent, and listen to the parents.
Follow the policy, follow the policy, follow the policy. Why did Larry Stern BLOCK the special meeting to allow parents to learn what to do, and ensure policy was being followed.
I find Larry Stern to be an immoral shill.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Thank you for contacting the Office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro. We received your e-mail regarding the assault of two children in your school district. We take all potential criminal matters very seriously. However, after consulting with our Criminal Division, the Attorney General’s office does not have the authority to investigate this case. For almost all criminal cases, your local district attorney’s office has the power to investigate and prosecute. That district attorney would have to specifically request that the Attorney General become involved in a case; until that happens, our office has no authority in this matter.
If you wish to contact them directly, you can do so using the following information:
Carbon County District Attorney’s Office
Michael Greek, District Attorney
PO Box 36
Jim Thorpe PA 18229
(570) 325-2718
mgreek@carboncounty.net
You may also want to contact the Detective Tim Nothstein of the Carbon County DA’s office as well, you may contact him using the following information:
Detective Tim Nothstein
(570)325-2718
email: TimNothstein@carboncounty.net
Additionally, if you have not done so already, we might also suggest reaching out to the Pennsylvania State Police. Troop N Barracks may be contacted at (570)459-3890.
For the parents of the children that were involved, they may want to consider consulting a lawyer about this issue. If they do not already have a lawyer, they can contact the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service at (717)238-6807 or toll-free at 1-800-692-7375. For additional information, they can visit their website
We wish you and your community the best in this matter.
1) Under what lawful authority did Larry Stern NOT call the special meeting, giving the Stakeholders a voice back in December and early January?
2) Why would the Athletic Committee fail to provide supervision to such young children? How did Wayne Wentz and Steve Holland fail to ensure the safety of the students?
Why did Wayne say he read the police reports, is he part of the investigation somehow?
3) How did so many kids get access to the restroom at once? And how did a head injury go so long between occurence and proper medical care?
4) Regarding the bomb scare, it became apparent in the meeting that the school policy and procedures were probably not followed to T, and the government apparently failed to act in consideration to all the students. Why?
5) Has the district's liability insurance policy holder been made aware all the potential claims?
These are just a few. There are many more that need to be asked. When will the District management actively seek the truth?
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Dennis Goodwin is a nationally acclaimed motivational speaker addressing prevention and methods to stop Hazing, Bullying and assaults on students.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.