Lawsuit alleges Christian school headmaster’s son bullied and sexually harassed student with autism for years

A Christian academy in Pennsylvania is facing a lawsuit after a former student’s parents allege the headmaster’s son bullied and sexually harassed their son, who has autism, for years. The suit, filed in January, names Dayspring Christian Academy, former principal and headmaster Daniel Stone, the headmaster’s son, and members of the school’s board of trustees.

The lawsuit claims that school administrators and board members were aware of the headmaster’s son bullying students with disabilities, including the student “CM,” whose parents filed the suit. It alleges that CM was subjected to “relentless bullying and harassment” due to his disability, primarily at the hands of the headmaster’s son, who was in the same grade class.

The suit includes claims that the headmaster’s son called CM names and stabbed him with pencils, leaving marks. It also alleges that the headmaster’s son cornered CM in a bathroom and whipped him with his belt on video in January 2023. The suit further claims the headmaster’s son sexually harassed CM, including bragging to two girls in May 2023 about inappropriate actions involving another student.

Many of the headmaster’s son’s “victims” had known disabilities, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims that the school administration and board members were aware of the bullying by the headmaster’s son “for years,” prior to and during the 2022-23 school year. When administrators, including Headmaster Stone and board member Michael Myers, heard of these complaints, they reportedly responded with dismissive remarks such as “boys will be boys” and “what do you want me to do about it?”

The lawsuit cites an email Stone reportedly sent in 2018 to the parents of 6th grade boys—including his son and CM at the time—addressing bullying. In that email, Stone promised that teachers would enforce certain changes, such as altering class schedules for lunches and allowing only one boy to use the bathroom at a time. The suit claims Stone never enforced these measures, and bullying continued.

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