A woman is seeking civil damages from a school system in Pennsylvania that she claims is responsible for severe physical and emotional abuse that her son suffered from in his special needs classroom at his elementary school. The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 13 against the Greensburg Salem School District, alleges that the 8-year-old boy was “repeatedly and horrifically assaulted and subjected to abuse” committed by staff members from September 2023 through November 2023 while he was a student at Robert F. Nicely Elementary School, according to the complaint cited by Law and Crime. The complaint states that the boy, who has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), had been tightly restrained on multiple occasions, including in one instance in which he was allegedly wrapped in a soundproofing mat so tightly that he could not move his arms. The suit also states that the child was abused, belittled, and intimidated by faculty members. Dr. Robert F. Nicely Elementary School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/WTAE) The child was also forced to witness staff members verbally and physically abuse his classmates on other occasions where they allegedly had “noxious substances” sprayed into their mouths, according to the complaint. The boy suffered behavioral changes due to these events and was later diagnosed with trauma and stress disorder. The lawsuit said the classroom was “akin to a prison setting.” When the child’s mother reported her son’s behavioral changes and her concerns about possible in-class mistreatment to the principal, the school never investigated and took no action, the suit states. It wasn’t until someone reported the alleged abuse to child protective services and law enforcement that faculty members were removed from the classroom, some of whom now face criminal charges. Special education teacher Brooke Stanko, 35, and the aide who worked in her classroom, 59-year-old Teri Kepchia, were arrested in December 2023 after being accused of spraying soapy water and lemon juice into the mouth of one child and restraining two others with soundproofing mats. The victims were ages 8, 7, and 6. Stanko and Kepchia were charged with conspiracy, child endangerment, false imprisonment, simple assault, and failure to report. After the arrests, the mother of one victim told KDKA that she noticed her son behave differently during the time the incidents took place. “It started to where I couldn’t even get him on the bus,” she said. “By the time I got him out the door, he would vomit on himself being so upset.” The boy’s father said: “I look at this and I can only picture a monster. Who would hurt a special-needs child?” Six months after Stanko’s and Kepchia’s arrests, four contracted employees who worked at the school were also charged in connection to the incidents. Amanda Lehman, 40, Derek James Hines, 38, Lorraine F. Robertson, 75, and Lauren Byrne-Houser, 39, were all charged with child endangerment and failure to report. All four people were hired to work at Nicely through a third-party educational staffing service. Hines, a substitute teacher, and Lehman, an aide, told investigators they witnessed when Stanko and Kepchia sprayed soapy water and lemon juice into one child’s mouth and wrapped the other children into mats, according to TribLive.com. Byrne-Houser admitted to detectives that she helped restrain children using the mats. The newly filed lawsuit alleges discrimination, denial of benefits, as well as violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the boy’s rights. The plaintiffs seek $150,000 in damages. In response to the suit, Greensburg Salem Superintendent Kenneth Bissell stated, “We are in the process of reviewing the complaint with our attorneys and will be preparing an appropriate response thereto.” No further comment has been released by the district yet. At the time of Stanko’s and Kepchia’s arrests, Bissell sent a letter to the parents and faculty members within the district stating, “We are saddened that the actions and inactions within a classroom of children with the most significant support needs violated the safety needs of children and broke the trust for a loving, caring and respectful environment.” ‘Horrifically Assaulted’: Pennsylvania Teachers ‘Tightly Restrained’ 8-Year-Old Boy in ‘Soundproof Mat,’ Sprayed Children’s Mouths with Soap Water and Lime Juice, Lawsuit Alleges