The Greensburg Salem School District was ordered Monday to turn over sensitive student records to prosecutors and a defense attorney in the case of alleged mistreatment of three children in a special education classroom.

Teacher Brooke Stanko, classroom aide Teri Kepchia and four other employees are awaiting trial on allegations that three students in their care at Nicely Elementary School, ages 8, 7 and 6, were subjected to violence and mistreatment.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Michael Stewart II directed the school district to furnish records that include student evaluations, placements, behavioral and education progress reports, attendance records and nursing logs.

Authorities contend Stanko and Kepchia sprayed lemon juice and soap into the mouth of one child and restrained that child and two others with soundproofing mats in September and October 2023. They also were charged with failing to report the incidents.

Stanko, 36, of Derry Township and Kepchia, 60, of Hempfield face 21 criminal counts, including felony charges of child endangerment, conspiracy and false imprisonment.

Amanda Lehman, 40, of South Greensburg; Derek James Hines, 38, of Hempfield; Lorraine F. Robertson, 75, of Greensburg; and Lauren Byrne-Houser, 39, of Greensburg, all contracted employees from an outside agency, face counts of child endangerment and failure to make a report to authorities.

The school district also was ordered to turn over all use of restraint policies dating to 2018 and any reports of student restraints initiated by any staff at the school from 2020 through 2024; emails and other records of allegations of criminal conduct by school principals, vice principals or other administrators; and log books and records for other supervisors or staff who visited the classroom.

“Every one of those records are part of the story and history that I think are necessary because we need to see the entire history of the class,” defense attorney Tim Andrews said. “My client never had any intent to harm and mistreat children in any way.”

Kepchia was the only defendant to specifically seek that information from the school district. Her attorney, Andrews, said it was likely the other five charged in the case will have access to those records.

The judge, following a court hearing last month, delayed a potential trial for all six defendants until at least October.

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