ENOLA, Pa. — A former paraprofessional in a Cumberland County school district has been charged with assaulting a non-verbal elementary student with autism, according to charging documents filed by East Pennsboro Township Police.
Jessica Piper, 36, of Enola, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and simple assault. She allegedly assaulted the student multiple times over the course of the 2023-24 school year, police claim.
Authorities began investigating Piper in May, after receiving a Child Line tip claiming she grabbed the child by the neck, pushed him to the ground, and forced him to pick up several items that had been dropped.
Piper also allegedly covered the child's mouth to prevent him from making noise and used her hands to restrain him, investigators claim.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Piper hitting and holding her hand over the child's mouth, squeezing the child's face, yelling at him, and shoving the back of his head, police said.
The contact "was not done in a gentle manner," one witness reported.
The child's mother contacted authorities after finding fingerprint bruises on the victim's arm and jaw, police said.
When informed about the child's bruises, one witness reportedly told police they were not surprised because "there was no way there couldn't have been bruises," charging documents state.
Another witness reportedly told police they lost sleep over Piper's treatment of the child, police claim.
Piper was employed by Substitute Teacher Service as a student aide during the school year. East Pennsboro School District officials said in a statement that her position was eliminated as soon as they were informed of the investigation.
Piper was arraigned on the charges and released after posting $10,000 unsecured bail, according to court records. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 23.
