Philadelphia

Employee at Chester County Learning Center Allegedly Broke Teen's Arm as 2 Other Workers Watched, Police Say

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health’s Leo Kanner Learning Center serves children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

An employee has been charged with multiple attacks on students inside a Chester County behavioral health center, authorities said, including an assault that left a 16-year-old girl with a broken arm.

Christina Borden, of Yeadon, allegedly threw the unidentified student at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health’s Leo Kanner Learning Center in West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, to the ground, then struck the girl multiple times with her knee on Sept. 30, West Whiteland Township police said Wednesday.

The school serves children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The victim managed to get to her feet, but Borden, 27, then allegedly struck again, investigators said.

Two other school employees, Monique Scott, 25, of Pomeroy, and Solgie Barbar, 38, of Upper Darby, have been charged with failure to report the incident, police said.

Borden is also accused of attacking two juveniles and one adult with a cellphone cord on Sept. 30, causing arm injuries, police said. Scott is also facing charges for those three incidents after police say she failed to report those alleged attacks as well.

Borden was arrested earlier in November and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, child endangerment and harassment. She remains free on bail. Her attorney, Todd Fiore, declined to comment.

Scott and Barbar each face failure to report and child endangerment charges. Each is out on bail. No phone number is listed for Scott and a message to Barbar wasn’t immediately returned.

The three employees join two other Devereux employees recently arrest: A 25-year-old man was accused of simple assault and harassment after he allegedly struck an 18-year-old client in October. And, a 32-year-old woman also faces simple assault and harassment charges for allegedly hitting a 17-year-old.

The Kanner facility touts its work caring “children and youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.”

“The Leo Kanner Learning Center offers individualized academic instruction, as well as social and emotional supports tailored to the needs of each student,” Devereux says on its website. “Our wonderful teaching staff provides caring, personalized attention and purposeful learning opportunities, with a strong focus on the transition from school to working in the community. The goal of this Approved Private School is to create educational opportunities that enable each student to live as a positive, healthy and socially connected individual in his or her community.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Health annually inspects the Kanner facility. The most recent inspection completed in September 2017 found the facility in violation of freezer and water temps. Each violation was rectified and the state found the facility in compliance.

In a statement sent to NBC10, Devereux's executive director wrote that they immediately reported the incident to all authorities, including the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and local law enforcement.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safe and effective care of children, and we have absolutely zero tolerance, none, for anyone who does not strictly adhere to Devereux’s quality of care standards," she wrote.

"We use the best pre-employment safety clearance tools available – from FBI clearances to police background checks – to screen potential employees. When we hire new staff, we provide exhaustive training before they meet or work with a single child to help ensure safe and therapeutic care. And we provide continuous training to all staff regarding compliance with care and safety standards."

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