New Wilmington, Pennsylvania - Wilmington Area High School Choir Teacher Jonathan Priano Accused of Sexually Abusing 2 Students

New Wilmington Area School District Teacher Accused of Sexual Contact with 2 Students

Last Update: 7/13/2020

Attorney Comments: School sexual abuse lawyer Brian Kent will add legal commentary in the second part of this story, discussing the legal rights of student victims of sexual abuse.

A choir teacher at Wilmington Area High School in New Wilmington, PA has been arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with two students.

35-year-old Jonathan Priano faces several criminal charges, including institutional sexual assault.

The criminal complaint says that the first victim came forward to report that Priano had indecent contact with her in 2010, when she was 17 years old. She also gave police a binder of private messages between her and Priano.

A second victim told investigators that Priano had sexual contact with her more than 10 times when she was a Wilmington Area High School student. She said that these assaults happened on school grounds and at Priano’s former home.

Priano was arraigned on Wednesday, June 10. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled in July.

Lawsuits For Students Sexually Abused by Teachers

Attorney contributor Brian Kent is a sex abuse victim lawyer who has represented several student victims of sexual abuse. We’ve asked Brian to add some information on the legal rights of students who have been sexually abused by teachers:

In education and other fields where adults work with children, the safety of those children is paramount. Sadly, sexual predators are sometimes found working in schools and other workplaces with children. School officials must do everything they can to protect their students from these predators.

When a teacher is charged with sexually abusing students, it’s important to ask if and how the abuse could have been prevented. Some of these cases only happen because of negligence by the school, such as ignoring previous complaints from students regarding inappropriate behavior by the teacher. In cases of negligence, the victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit.

If you or your child is a victim of school sex abuse, you can learn more about your legal rights by contacting our sex abuse victim lawyers for a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.wtae.com/article/lawrence-county-choir-teacher-charged-with-having-sexual-contact-with-two-students/32836848