Cheltenham parents confront school board over hazing scandal and safety concerns
WYNCOTE, Pa. —
Parents and community members in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, confronted the school board Tuesday night, demanding accountability and action after hazing charges and the superintendent’s resignation raised concerns about student safety.
Parents demand accountability over student safety
“Posting on Facebook that you care about a child being abused isn’t going to do anything,” one parent said.
The frustration follows charges announced in July by Montgomery County prosecutors against 10 individuals, including four football coaches and six students, in connection to the assault of a 15-year-old Cheltenham High School student. Prosecutors said the student was assaulted twice in a locker room during the 2025 school year.
Parents expressed dissatisfaction with the district’s handling of safety issues. “I understand your commitment to reviewing policies. How many times can we review the same policies? They are not accurate,” one parent said.
Another parent added, “You should all be ashamed of yourselves. You brought us here. The district attorney in Montgomery County told us you can’t even protect our children.”
“Clearly what happened at the high school is not a one-off incident,” another parent said.
The resignation of Superintendent Dr. Brian Scriven shortly after the charges were announced has further fueled concerns.
School Board acknowledges mistakes and plans reviews
The school board president addressed the challenges during the meeting, describing the school year as “tumultuous.”
“While we may differ with the grand jury with respect to some of its findings about how the district and the board responded, the hard truth is that we must acknowledge that mistakes were made and we must take action,” the board president said.
The board announced plans to review district safety policies and practices, assess athletic programs, and conduct an independent review of its policies and procedures with the help of a private attorney.
Federal investigation examines abuse and misconduct
The U.S. Department of Education is also investigating the district as part of a nationwide initiative focused on protecting students from sexual abuse and misconduct in schools.
That investigation was announced last month, prior to the criminal charges.