\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDespite two Laurel Highlands High School teachers being arrested over the last week, the investigation into the entire district is far from complete. Ever since former teachers Martin Gatti and Daniel Cervone were arrested and accused of sexual relations with students, the Fayette County District Attorney\u2019s Office and Pennsylvania State Police have fielded several reports.\u201cWe\u2019re going to vet every single report that\u2019s made to us,\u201d District Attorney Mike Aubele said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been inundated with calls. We\u2019ve received a lot of reports from members of the community. We\u2019re going to do everything we can to protect our children.\u201d Some of those reports already suggest that people in the district knew about the alleged actions well before charges came last week. \u201cThere may have been reports in the past against one of these individuals,\u201d Aubele said. \u201cNot a lot of people were surprised that this happened. That\u2019s very concerning. Teachers and pretty much everybody in the school building are mandated reporters. Which means they have a legal obligation and duty to report any instance of child abuse. If that wasn\u2019t done, that in and of itself is a criminal offense.\u201dState Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa, R-Fayette, wrote a letter to the Pennsylvania Attorney General to investigate the district separately.The request comes after two school employees were charged in recent weeks with alleged inappropriate conduct involving students. Public reporting also indicates that similar concerns involving staff-student relationships were under investigation as early as 2023. In at least one case, the alleged conduct dates back several years before being reported to law enforcement.Grimm Krupa says that, taken together, these incidents raise serious questions about whether all allegations were properly reported, investigated, and addressed \u2013 and whether any additional misconduct may have gone undetected.\u201cWhen multiple cases emerge within the same district over time, it is no longer sufficient to view them in isolation,\u201d said Grimm Krupa, who represents the 51st District. \u201cThese circumstances raise legitimate questions about whether there is a broader pattern and whether existing safeguards and reporting requirements were consistently followed.\u201dIn a letter sent to the attorney general’s office, Grimm Krupa requested a review of compliance with Pennsylvania\u2019s mandatory reporting laws, as well as an examination of whether any additional incidents, patterns of conduct or victims may exist.\u201cThis is about ensuring that nothing was missed,\u201d she said. \u201cIf there are additional victims, they deserve to be identified and heard. And if there were failures in reporting or oversight, those must be fully examined.\u201dGrimm Krupa emphasized that this request does not presume wrongdoing and that the request is being made to ensure that the laws meant to protect children are actually enforced and that the public gets transparency and accountability.\u201cFamilies deserve confidence that every allegation was handled properly and that every step required to protect students was taken,\u201d she said. \u201cAn independent review is the appropriate step to answer those questions.\u201dGrimm Krupa also encouraged anyone with information related to these incidents to contact law enforcement.Aubele confirmed that his office would cooperate with the attorney general if a separate investigation was launched. However, his office will continue to work on its own findings. \u201cI cannot stress enough that everything that is being asked to be done in that letter is being done fully by the best troop in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,\u201d Aubele said. \u201cWe\u2019re not overwhelmed. We\u2019re not in a position where we\u2019re saying, ‘Stop the reports.’ We\u2019re doing very, very thorough investigations.\u201dWhile officials field reports, professionals are supporting the students. \u201cWe do have an employee who\u2019s going into the schools,\u201d said Laurie Chappell, direct service manager for the Fayette County Crime Victim Centers. \u201cWe work with all of the school districts in the county.\u201dCounselors from the center will continue to be at the school, not just to console students, but also to educate them on how to report. \u201cIt\u2019s not OK if someone who is in authority makes a wrong or inappropriate gesture towards you,\u201d Chappell said. \u201cThat\u2019s not OK. It\u2019s kind of difficult sometimes for kids to feel safe in the area where they may be harmed at. Our job is to get into the schools as much as possible and educate them as much, so we have those people to tell.\u201d Investigators are reiterating that they want every report from the public about what may or may not be happening inside the district. \u201cWe\u2019ve made two arrests to this point,\u201d Aubele said. \u201cWe have other active investigations. We\u2019re working non-stop, 24 hours to make sure we get to the bottom of what\u2019s going on in this district.\u201d Laurel Highlands Superintendent Jesse Wallace told Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4 on Friday that the district will fully cooperate with any investigation.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tUNIONTOWN, Pa. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n