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Four former female students made an accusation in a civil suit in Lycoming County that they were sexually assaulted while at the Williamsport Area School District and the district failed to protect them from whom they described as a "pedophile, pervert and creep."
The suit names the defendants as the district, the high and middle schools, Christopher P. Yoder, and teacher Mel Mitstifer. The four plaintiffs are identified by their initials and claim the injuries they suffered were caused by the inaction of the district, the schools, Mitstifer and conduct by Yoder.
The charges listed are negligence and assault and battery.
The suit contends that Mitstifer failed to prevent Yoder's abuse of one of the students, according to the case.
Mitstifer, whose classroom was nearby Yoder's, personally observed the inappropriate relationship, according to the suit. The suit further claims that Mitstifer's reaction was "egregious and abysmally inadequate."
However, it is unclear if Mitstifer told administrators at the district or middle school about what he saw between Yoder and the student, according to the suit.
The district and Mitstifer, the suit contends, breached their duties and were negligent failing to fire Yoder after his prior misconduct with one of the students.
The allegations in the complaint are graphic and – among allegations – that Yoder arranged in class and after-school encounters including sexual touching; gave rides home after school and performed a sexual act; among other allegations of a prurient nature.
The suit contends the defendants further failed to prevent Yoder from sexually harassing students, failed to monitor and restrict Yoder's access to female students after his prior misconduct with two of the female students and failed to supervise interactions between Yoder and a student despite his history.
The defendants are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from Yoder and compensatory damages from the other defendants.
Yoder remains suspended without pay and was acquitted of sexual misconduct charges in two cases and in a third a district judge dismissed them after a preliminary hearing, according to Sun-Gazette reports and Pennlive.com.
The district also is seeking a disciplinary process separately against Yoder.