Lansdowne, PA - Penn Wood High School Security Guard Charged with Sexual Assault

Penn Wood High School Security Guard Charged for Engaging in a Sexual Relationship with a Student

According to the Daily Times, a security guard at the Penn Wood High School has been charged for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student.

L’toray Hill, 35-years-old, is facing three counts of institutional sexual assault, one count of indecent assault against a person less than 16 years old, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of corruption of minors, and one count of unlawful contact with a minor.

The victim claims Hill was manipulating her from a young age. The teen reported that her sexual relationship with Hill began when she turned 16. However, allegedly Hill kissed her unsolicited when she was 14-years-old.

The Daily Times stated that both the victim and Hill were volunteering at a daycare center, and on a field trip, Hill assaulted the victim. They were on a bus, and he told her to open her legs; when she did not, he forced them open and fondled her under her shorts. On another occasion, Hill took the victim into a room at the daycare and had intercourse with her. These sexual encounters continued for over a year.

Legal Options of Victims Sexually Assaulted by a School Employee

Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea has worked with numerous victims of sexual abuse in civil lawsuits. Below, Brian shares his insight on the legal options of victims sexually abused by a school employee.

"All schools have a legal duty to protect the students enrolled and must provide a safe learning environment. Unfortunately, we have seen predators across the country use their positions of trust as school staff to exploit students. To prevent abuse, schools should implement safety measures (i.e., background checks, cameras, and easy misconduct reporting systems etc.).

If abuse occurs and a school did not have safety measures in place, the school may be considered negligent in misconduct that happens by a school employee. An example of negligence is if a student reported an employee for sexual misconduct, but the complaints were ignored. In negligence cases, victims should know they may have grounds for a civil lawsuit.

Sources

Daily Times