PA High School Teachers Sex Scandal Investigation Expands

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Western Pennsylvania school district has hired an outside law firm to assist in ongoing investigations after two high school teachers recently were accused of inappropriate contact with students.

The Laurel Highlands School District board on Wednesday ann0unced that it is bringing in Pittsburgh-based MBM Law to review the situation.

Laurel Highlands High School JROTC instructor Daniel Cervone, 50, was arrested last month after Pennsylvania State Police learned of allegations of sexual activity between Cervone and a 15-year-old student.

Cervone has been charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor.

A week earlier, Martin Gatti, 50, a Laurel Highlands High School teacher and onetime Uniontown City Council member, also was charged with attempted institutional sexual assault, unlawful conduct with a minor and corruption of minors.

State Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa, a Fayette County Republican, has asked the state attorney general's office to probe a possible pattern of district misconduct and failures in oversight.

Additionally, Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said he is investigating similar accusations in other southwestern Pennsylvania districts.