Fox 29 has reported that several young girls were touched inappropriately by a school bus aide in the Upper Dublin School District located in Upper Dublin Township, PA.
According to school officials, they were first made aware of the accusations in late May. The report included a 6-year-old girl alleging that 71-year-old Kenneth Cannon inappropriately touched her while she was sitting on his lap while riding the bus. The young victim said she then ran to the back of the bus after Cannon told her "do not tell anyone I did this." Cannon has also been accused of asking several other girls ranging from 6 to 12 years old to sit on his lap as he touched them inappropriately during bus rides to and from school.
Cannon has been put on administrative leave while the investigation continues. The elementary schools within the Upper Dublin School District include:
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea represents victims and their families in sexual abuse cases in Pennsylvania. Brian recently sat down with Legal Herald highlighting the legal rights of victims sexually assaulted by a school bus aide.
"When young children are in the care of a school, parents believe that the school employees have the children's best interests at heart. Protecting them from preventable dangers, including sexual abuse, should be a top priority for school districts. Too often, we see sexual predators taking up roles that allow them to be close with children. These positions usually include the predator having authority while gaining the child's trust. Bus drivers, teachers, coaches, and other school staff members have become targets for sexual predators."
"The law requires that schools maintain the basic safety of their students. This obligation includes transportation to and from school. School districts can minimize the risk of preventable dangers by installing video monitoring systems on the school property, including school buses. Additionally, all employees should be subject to a background check to make sure they do not have a history of misconduct. The school district could be deemed negligent if it fails to uphold its commitment to ensuring the safety of the children. Victims sexually abused by a school employee, such as a bus aide, should speak with an experienced school sex abuse attorney."