4 more charged in alleged mistreatment of elementary students in Greensburg Salem

Renatta Signorini, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·4 min read

Jun. 17—It's what they didn't do that resulted in charges filed Monday against four more people as part of a case involving the alleged mistreatment of three children last year at a Greensburg Salem School District elementary school.

"These were people who participated to some degree, but weren't the main people involved," said Greensburg police Chief Chuck Irvin. "They either witnessed or failed to take any action to protect the children or to report the actions that took place."

All four of the people face the same charges: child endangerment and failure to report in complaints filed by Greensburg police. Three of the suspects — Amanda Lehman, 39, of South Greensburg; Derek James Hines, 37, of Hempfield; and Lorraine F. Robertson, 74, of Greensburg — surrendered to authorities Monday and are free on $45,000 unsecured bail.

The fourth suspect — Lauren Byrne-Houser, 38, of Greensburg — had not been arraigned but was expected to turn herself in.

The four suspects are accused in the same incidents as a teacher and aide who were arrested in December on police accusations that they mistreated special needs students at Robert F. Nicely Elementary School on multiple occasions in September and October. Witnesses testified at February preliminary hearings for Brooke A. Stanko, 35, of Derry Township, and Teri Kepchia, 58, of Hempfield, that the women sprayed lemon juice and soap into the mouth of one child and restrained that child and two others with soundproofing mats.

The children involved were 8, 7 and 6, police said.

Greensburg police Detective Sgt. Justin Scalzo said in court papers that Hines and Lehman were present when soap was sprayed into the child's mouth and when children were wrapped up in the mats, which are 6 feet long by 4 feet high. Both told investigators they witnessed those things happen multiple times. They were both employed by ESS, an educational staffing service. Hines as a substitute teacher and Lehman as an aide, according to court papers.

Hines took a photograph of a child being restrained by a mat that showed Robertson participating, according to court papers. Robertson worked for Family Behavioral Resources as a behavioral health technician.

Byrne-Houser worked as an aide for ESS. During an interview with police, she admitted to helping to restrain children using the mats, according to court papers.

Superintendent Ken Bissell said in a statement that employees and contracted employees were permanently removed from Greensburg Salem classrooms when officials were notified of the initial report.

"I don't think this is representative of the school district as a whole," Irvin said. "I think these were isolated circumstances for this one classroom and I think the school district did what it needed to do once it became aware of the issue."

Lehman, Hines and Robertson all appeared with their attorneys at district court Monday for their arraignments. None has any prior criminal record.

Attorney Mike Ferguson said Robertson had worked with students for years.

"I think the expectations placed on these people, good people trying to do good things for these children, has become unrealistic," he said. "I'm concerned that the perfect is becoming the enemy of the good in a case like this. I don't know who would want to work in this kind of a situation, or try to help, if these are the kind of things that can happen."

Attorney Michael DeMatt said Lehman has been cooperative with prosecutors and testified against Stanko and Kepchia at their preliminary hearings.

"We're very disappointed that she's now facing a felony charge," he said. "We don't feel that's an appropriate charge in this matter."

Attorney Francis Murrman said Hines should have never been charged. He also testified against Stanko and Kepchia.

"You see this man, Derek Hines, a Marine veteran, injured in Afghanistan, post-traumatic stress disorder serving his country," Murrman said. "This is a stellar individual."

Preliminary hearings are set for July 18.

Kepchia and Stanko are facing charges of simple assault, failure to report, child endangerment, false imprisonment and conspiracy. Pretrial conference are scheduled for Aug. 16 in Kepchia's case and July 19 in Stanko's.

Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.