As a father, a law enforcement officer, and a candidate for the Central Bucks School Board, I read the recent investigative report from Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) not just as a professional, but as a parent and community member.
What’s in that report is unacceptable. It describes the mistreatment of nonverbal special education students at Jamison Elementary and a pattern of leadership failure that stretches from individual teachers to the highest levels of district administration.
But here’s what troubles me just as much as the abuse itself: no one in leadership has been held accountable. The DRP report explicitly says the school board must act. It calls for discipline of Superintendent Dr. Yanni, who it says lied to both police and a board member. It outlines a culture of fear and retaliation inside the district. And it reveals how the Central Bucks School Board has failed to protect children, failed to support whistleblowers, and failed to lead.
Instead of consequences, we saw damage control:
- Teachers accused of abuse were allowed to take paid medical leave.
- The administration was accused of misleading the board — and suffered no consequences.
- The teachers union, according to DRP, attempted to block the investigation entirely.
- Superintendent Dr. Yanni and his cabinet kept parents in the dark while quietly working behind the scenes to manage the optics.
- After the DRP report was released, and only after public embarrassment, was Yanni then placed on paid administrative leave and not terminated.
That’s why agencies like Disability Rights Pennsylvania exist — to investigate when local systems fail. And their findings don’t just raise red flags, they provide a roadmap for action. Now, it’s up to the school board to follow through. The current board has proven it won’t.
We need change at the top.
As a school board candidate, my job isn’t just to raise questions. It’s to bring accountability. That starts by restoring trust — especially for parents. When something happens in school, whether it’s a safety concern or a serious complaint, parents must be notified immediately. No family should learn about abuse from a third-party report or a newspaper article. Communication and transparency must be our foundation going forward.
Just as importantly, every school board member, and every district employee, is a mandated reporter. We are legally and ethically required to report suspected abuse. Ignoring those responsibilities, or excusing those who do, cannot be tolerated.
So how do we regain the trust of families — at Jamison Elementary and across Central Bucks? We start by acknowledging the truth, not minimizing it. We commit to transparency, even when it’s uncomfortable. And we take visible, meaningful action: removing those who enabled harm, elevating those who speak out, and ensuring that safety, respect, and dignity are non-negotiable for every child in every classroom. Trust isn’t given; it’s earned, and right now, we have work to do.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about doing what’s right: for students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers. If elected, I will bring my law enforcement experience, my commitment to transparency, and my drive for accountability to the board. I will push for an independent review of leadership decisions, and I will not support shielding anyone from consequences, no matter their title.
This election, I’m asking for your vote. We can’t move forward by protecting a broken status quo. We need leadership that will stand up, speak out, and never forget that our job is to serve the students — all of them — first.
