A third federal lawsuit has been filed that claims special education students were mistreated by teachers and staff at Nicely Elementary School in Greensburg.
Parents of a then 8-year-old Greensburg Salem School District student contend the child was forcefully restrained and forced to watch alleged abuses of other children in a classroom that include lemon juice and soap sprayed into students mouths in September and October 2023.
The school district, along with private service providers, were accused in the eight-count lawsuit of discrimination, assault and battery, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit alleges school officials improperly trained staff to deal with students having special needs and failed to respond to parent complaints about the treatment their children received in school.
Two other federal lawsuits filed by parents of other students were filed last year.
Greensburg Salem officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Criminal charges remain pending against six former teachers and classroom aides.
Police charged Brooke A. Stanko, 36, of Derry Township, who worked as a special education teacher, and Teri Kepchia, 60, of Hempfield, who was an aide in the same classroom, with multiple counts of child endangerment, false imprisonment and related offenses.
Four others — Amanda Lehman, 41, of South Greensburg; Derek James Hines, 39, of Hempfield; Lorraine F. Robertson, 76, of Greensburg; and Lauren Byrne-Houser, 40, of Greensburg — were contracted employees from an outside agency and are also facing criminal charges.
A consolidated trial for all six teachers and aides is scheduled to begin in August.