Parents demand answers after Jamison Elementary abuse allegations as board advances policy updates

Parents and community members pressed the Central Bucks School District Board of School Directors on March 20, 2025, for immediate answers and accountability after allegations that special‑education students at Jamison Elementary were physically restrained, denied access to water and left exposed, sometimes for prolonged periods.

The public comments came as the board disclosed it had met in a series of executive sessions this spring "to discuss personnel matters related to the allegations of abuse at Jamison Elementary School," and as the board advanced two policy items on student discipline and behavioral supports that speakers said should address the classroom incidents.

Why it matters: Speakers said the allegations involve vulnerable students and point to gaps in policy, communication and oversight. Parents and advocates called for a prompt public update on the district’s investigation, for the law firm handling the review to report to the board, and for concrete steps to ensure mandated‑reporting, staff training and parent notification are functioning.

What was said and claimed - Multiple speakers alleged that two children in a Jamison Elementary special‑education classroom were physically restrained for "20 to 40 minutes at a time, multiple times a day," and that one child was left undressed and lying on a bathroom floor for extended periods. Those allegations were presented by parents and members of the public during the second public‑comment period; the statements were attributed to those speakers and not presented by district leadership as findings. - Lisa Pepper, identified in public comment as the mother of a Jamison student, described what she said were repeated episodes of physical and emotional harm. "He was treated like an bridal, worse than an animal," she said. She said her son was denied water daily and that a head injury suffered at school was not disclosed to the family for 10 months. - Several speakers, including Christy Callahan, read and quoted from an email Superintendent Steven Yanni sent to parent Jim Pepper describing the district’s internal inquiry. According to that email quoted in public comment, Dr. Yanni wrote that the district’s investigation had found reports of a student "undressed and engaging in self‑stimulatory behavior" and of restrictions on access to a water fountain because a student would linger there. The quoted email also stated there was "absolutely no report of physicality" in the district’s findings and said communication protocols were to be strengthened. Those lines were read in full by a public commenter; the district has not released the full investigative report in the meeting record. - Parents and speakers asked the board to provide a status update on the external law‑firm investigation, request an estimate of hours and fees, and to require the firm to present findings at the next board meeting. Shannon Harris, who identified herself as a parent, asked the board to "push the attorney to present her findings at the next Board meeting on April 24."

Board process and actions referenced - At the start of the meeting the board secretary read that the board had held executive sessions on several dates this year, including sessions on 02/23/2025, 03/01/2025, 03/18/2025 and the evening of 03/20/2025. The stated executive‑session topics included personnel matters related to the Jamison Elementary allegations and collective‑bargaining discussions. - During the meeting the board voted to approve two policy items (listed as items 10b and 10c on the agenda) related to student discipline and behavioral supports. Administration sought approval of items 10b and 10c; the motion was moved and seconded and passed 7–0. Several public commenters said the draft policies did not go far enough and urged additional administrative regulations and explicit parent‑communication requirements.

Claims, disputes and what’s not yet established - Speakers repeatedly described harm they say occurred in the classroom; the allegations as presented at the meeting include restraint for extended periods, water restriction and withheld notice of injuries. Those are claims made in public comment or quoted from family communications and are not presented by the district at this meeting as formal findings of wrongdoing. - Members of the public said a Pennsylvania ChildLine report and contacts with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other state offices had occurred; those references were made by commenters during public comment. The district did not present a public finding at the meeting and did not read a completed investigative report into the record at this session.

Requests made of the board - Multiple public commenters demanded timely public reporting of the law firm’s review, a summary of hours and fees billed to date, and clearer written commitments that parents will be notified promptly of incidents affecting their children. Several speakers called for resignations or for the board to take firmer action; other commenters urged restraint in public rhetoric and urged the board to prioritize student safety and due process.

District and board comments at the meeting - Susan Gibson, who presided over the meeting, asked for decorum during public comment and acknowledged the meeting climate had been tense. The board did not make any personnel announcements or provide the external law‑firm report in open session.

What comes next - Parents urged the law firm to present preliminary findings at the April 24 board meeting. The board approved two policy items related to discipline and behavioral support and discussed developing administrative regulations to operationalize policy language; public commenters asked that any new language explicitly require parent notification and documentation protocols.

Clarifying details from the meeting - Executive‑session dates the board recited: 02/23/2025, 03/01/2025, 03/18/2025 and 03/20/2025 (the meeting night). (read aloud by board staff at the March 20 meeting) - Policy items discussed by name/number during public comment: policies labeled 113.1 and 113.2 (discipline of students and behavioral supports) were on the agenda; agenda listings for policy items appeared as 10b and 10c during the votes portion of the meeting. - Specific allegations quoted by speakers: restraint durations of "20 to 40 minutes," repeated daily restrictions on water access, a reported head injury where an aide was out for 10 weeks, and a parent saying they were not told about the injury for about 10 months. These particulars were presented by public commenters and parents, and are attributed to those speakers in the meeting record.

The meeting record shows the board has begun the formal steps of policy revision and has held executive sessions to address personnel matters related to Jamison Elementary; parents and advocates at the March 20 meeting demanded a more immediate and transparent public update on the external review and stronger written protections for students and timely parent communication.