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On Monday, October 29, police in Yatesville filed child sexual abuse charges against the band director for the Pittston Area School District. 28-year-old Brendan Carter has been charged with indecent assault, indecent exposure, corruption of minors, sexual abuse of children, and possessing child pornography.
Court documents say that five current and former high school students told police that Carter played truth or dare with members of the band while riding on the bus, exposed himself to students, and asked students for nude pictures, along with other sexual acts. Police say that they also found nude photos of students on Carter’s cell phone.
Carter also worked as a percussion instructor for the Wyoming Area School District. He has been suspended from both of his positions and a judge has ordered him to stay off of both Pittston Area and Wyoming Area school properties.
Guy D'Andrea is a sexual assault survivors attorney who helps survivors find justice in civil courtrooms. With a background as a criminal prosecutor, Brian has a first-hand understanding of how the legal system can help victims. We’ve asked him for some insight into the legal options available to survivors of child sexual abuse committed by school employees:
We all trust that the teachers, coaches, counselors, and other school employees in our communities are honorable people who will help our children grow into well-rounded adults. But as the local news frequently indicates, it’s common for sexual predators to seek these positions of trust. When a school employee turns out to be a predator who has sexually abused children, we must attend to the needs of the victims, make sure the perpetrator is arrested, and determine if the school was negligent in a way that enabled the abuse to occur.
In cases where the school was negligent, such as failing to report allegations of sexual abuse to law enforcement, the victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the school district. If you or someone you love has been sexually abused by a school employee, you can learn more about your family’s legal options by speaking to an experienced teacher sexual abuse lawyer.
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