A school aide in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a non-verbal, autistic elementary school student. Jessica Piper, 36, of Enola, is accused of assaulting the student over the course of the 2023-24 school year while working at East Pennsboro Elementary School. Piper was employed as a paraprofessional through Substitute Teacher Service and was the student’s aide during the school year.
According to the Local 21 News, Piper was immediately fired once the school was made aware of the investigation pending allegations of misconduct. The East Pennsboro Township Police received a report in May about Piper allegedly grabbing the child by the neck, pushing him to the ground, and covering the child’s mouth to prevent him from making noise. Witnesses also reported seeing Piper hitting the student and squeezing his face while yelling at him.
The child’s mother noticed apparent fingerprint bruising around his arm and jawline, according to Yahoo News. Piper now faces a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children and a misdemeanor charge of simple assault. She is currently out on unsecured bail set at $10,000 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 23.