Morrisville, PA - Valley Day School Teacher's Aide Jennilynne Derolf Charged with Sexual Assault

Teacher's Aide at Valley Day School Jennilynne Derolf Charged with Sexual Assault

According to ABC6 News, a teacher's aid at Valley Day School has been accused and charged with sexual assault of a student.

Jennilynne Derolf, 38-years-old, was an aid in the victims class at Valley Day School. An investigation began after the victim's grandmother reported the alleged relationship. The teen reported to detectives that the relationship began with messages on a cellphone app. Derolf and the victim then allegedly would meet up, and the meetings eventually became "romantic," reported Abc6 News. 

Derolf was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and statutory sexual assault. She is being held on 10% of $900,000 bond at Bucks County Correctional facility, according to Abc6 News. 

Legal Options of Victims Abused Sexually by a School Employee

Attorney contributor Brian Kent, an experienced sexual assault attorney, has represented numerous victims of sexual assault in civil lawsuits. Below, Brian provides commentary on the legal options of victims sexually assaulted by a school employee.

"Schools, administrations, and teachers have a legal obligation to uphold the safety of students enrolled. To ensure the safety of students, administrations should implement security measures such as cameras, guards, and more. Unfortunately, numerous teachers and school employees around the country have been charged with the sexual assault of students. Schools must do everything in their power to prevent predators from working in their schools and abusing students."

"When a victim is sexually abused by a teacher, the victim and their family should question if the school did everything possible to prevent the abuse from occurring. Often, abuse occurs due to the negligence of a third party, such as a school's administration. An example of negligence is if abuse was reported in the past by a school employee, but the employee was not properly investigated and permitted to keep working. However, there are other forms of negligence. Victims abused sexually by a school employee should know they may have grounds for a civil lawsuit against the school."

Sources:

Abc6 News