20 Chester Community Charter School workers charged in child abuse case

CHESTER, Pa. - Authorities in Delaware County have announced child abuse-related charges against 20 people who worked at Chester Community Charter School. 

The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office alleges 26 children, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, were victims of abuse. 

All 26 students were enrolled in the school’s Team Approach to Achieving Academic Success (TAAS) program. 

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer is expected to hold a press conference on the case at 3 p.m. Monday. You can watch it live in the FOX LOCAL app. 

What we know:

The Delaware County District Attorney says they launched an investigation into workers at Chester Community Charter School after two parents complained in January 2025 that their children told them they were afraid of going to school for fear of being placed in ‘holds’ by staff. 

Authorities say their investigation revealed nine school workers were using techniques to ‘restrain’ and ‘punish’ children in grades K-5 enrolled in the school’s positive emotional support program. 

The ‘techniques’ used by those nine workers allegedly included the following: 

• Pinching
• Pressure points near their necks
• Holding children in restraints
• Threatening with ‘shoulder work’

The DA’s office described ‘shoulder work’ as "pinching students on pressure points near their necks, placing them in holds with their arms crossed in front of them, and having a knee applied to their back until the student was brought to the ground."

Authorities say many of these abuses and behaviors were captured on surveillance cameras. 

Several of the workers accused of abuse were found to have been employees of a company called ‘Peak Performers Staffing, LLC which had been co-founded by Jennifer Woodhouse and Emmanuel Gilbert, both of Chester. 

Investigators say Woodhouse assured them her staff was trained in safety-care techniques, but investigators later learned that none of the staff had up-to-date and required training.

Nine of the school workers are charged with multiple counts, which include conspiracy, simple assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child, and failure to report endangering the welfare of a child. 

• Raymond Harris
• Kabree Daniels
• Christian Denny
• Martin Mincey, Jr.
• Harry Woodhouse, Jr
• Amaru Mohammed
• Leroy Campbell
• Adrian Hospedale
• Monica Griffin

Eleven others were charged with at least one count of failure to report the endangerment of the welfare of a child. 

• Daemon Pierce
• Don’Neisah King Pierce
• Arijah Clements
• Cyrus Barlee
• Neanne Edmonds
• Breshonna Belgrave
• Deja Bennett-Allen
• Ryan Ridley
• Maggie Moloney
• Dahkeem Williams
• Asia Pena

Officials say all of the defendants are classified as mandated reporters of incidents of suspected child abuse under Pennsylvania Law.

What they're saying:

"This case is every parents’ nightmare. We send our children to school expecting the adults will keep them safe, not abuse them physically and emotionally." said District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. "Our investigation showed some staffers physically abusing children while others sat passively and watched. All the adults charged are equally guilty in failing to protect these children, some as young as 5 years old." Stollsteimer continued.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Chester Community Charter School indicated that three school employees were charged with failing to report the alleged conduct. The rest were 'employees of a certified contractor formerly associated with the school." 

"As soon as school administrators learned that there was any possible violation of approved methods, it took swift and decisive action to terminate the contractor. CCCS employees who are alleged to have carried out such practices were also promptly terminated at that time, and any employees who might have had knowledge of the situation were placed on leave, pending further investigation. CCCS has been completely cooperative with local authorities," a statement from the school read in part. 

In a press release issued by the DA’s office, investigators say school officials confirmed that any use of a ‘safety hold’ must be reported under state guidelines. School officials confirmed to investigators that no holds were reported by the school during 2024, when many of the abuses were alleged to have taken place. 

Dig deeper:

CCCS sent FOX 29 the following press release which breaks down the school's association with Peak Performers Staffing Solutions. 

"CCCS relied on Peak Performers Staffing Solutions, a local vendor that represented itself as expert in the field of classroom management and behavior improvement practices, only to find that Peak Performers employees had not completed necessary training, did not have proper knowledge in their field, and were completely unqualified to manage children," the statement begins.

CCCS leaders want to pursue all necessary legal action against Peak Performer amid the allegations. 

"CCCS believes Peak Performers must be held accountable so that it can never victimize other students, teachers or schools," the statement ended.

What's next:

Officials say none of the accused are in custody as of Monday afternoon, but several are expected to turn themselves in later in the day. 

Delaware CountyCrime & Public Safety