Chester County Intermediate Unit settles Glen Mills suit for $3 million

January 20 2023

PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) has approved a $3 million settlement in an ongoing federal lawsuit against the shuttered Glen Mills Schools. The lawsuit alleged that students at the school were subjected to physical abuse and deprived of educational opportunities by staff for years.

"The Glen Mills Schools discriminated against students with disabilities and wholly denied them their legally required special education services," said Margie Wakelin, senior staff attorney at the Education Law Center representing the plaintiffs, in a press release. "The teenagers who entered Glen Mills are now young adults. Funds created by CCIU through this agreement will be the first essential step to repairing these grave injuries and will make a significant difference for these students."

Key Facts:

1. The Glen Mills Schools, the oldest reform school in the nation, came under scrutiny following a Philadelphia Inquirer report in February 2019 that alleged students there suffered decades of abuse at the hands of employees.

2. In response to the allegations, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services revoked all 14 of the school's licenses and removed its students under an emergency order a few months later.

3. The lawsuit, filed in April 2019, alleged violations of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state common law.

4. In addition to Glen Mills Schools, the suit named the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, the Department of Education, and several staff members as defendants.

5. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III denied nearly all of the defendants’ motions to dismiss in December 2019, finding that the suit credibly alleged that the CCIU “completely failed” in its role to monitor Glen Mills for compliance with federal and state laws related to exceptional children.

The $3 million settlement will be used to provide services and support for the students affected by the alleged abuse and neglect at Glen Mills Schools. The suit is still pending against the remaining defendants, including the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Department of Education.