The fallout continues Today after a former educator in Cambria County was arrested Yesterday.
Shawn Miller had been a Music Teacher for Westmont Hilltop Elementary School for decades until he resigned in 2020, after police say he had been placed on administrative leave.
But his arrest affidavit shows the school and police investigated him 9 years earlier.
Yesterday he was arrested for a 2015 case where police say he raped a 9 year old student.
We have team coverage starting with Crispin Havener with a look at the case and the accusations made against the teacher years prior.
A look back at an old yearbook from Westmont Hilltop Elementary school show the smiling longtime Music Teacher.
But now, a picture that strikes a different note. Shawn Miller booked in the Cambria County Jail after he was arrested Monday on charges he raped a nine year old student in his classroom in 2015.
Upper Yoder Police say in his arrest affidavit that they have school records indicating harassment and inappropriate touching of students going back to 2011
“We furthered our investigation by executing a search warrant at the school.”
According to his arrest affidavit police say school records indicate that back in 2011, the school’s then Superintendent Dr. Susan Anderson received a memorandum of investigation from then Assistant District Attorney Michael Carbonara regarding an inappropriate comment and touching incident that the Ada said met the level of a summary harassment charge, as well as other accusations he would kiss his hands and place them on students.
But that letter indicates, according to police, that Carbonara believed that, “We should not charge Miller, not because he didn’t violate the law, but because it minimizes the act.”
“There was a recommendation made that something should have happened whether that be termination or probation.”
Instead, internal school records obtained by police show Miller was ordered to watch a training video, receive a psych evaluation and attend counseling, and submit to a clinical polygraph, which police say Miller later indicated he never did.
Then in 2015 a then nine year old, who police said came forward to them this past February, said Miller spent a 4 day period where he had her stay after class, and progressively made advances on her, leading to what she says was a rape…something police say she told them miller asked her to keep quiet about or else she wouldn’t get a solo part in the school’s music festival.
Police say internal school records confirmed the victim’s parents told the school about it…but do not say what, if any, actions were taken.
Police say Miller was put on administrative leave in December 2019. A month later at an investigatory meeting, police say Miller was told about 20-30 touching complaints.
Police said the transcripts of the meeting show he could not answer why he continued behaviors he was ordered to stop by school administrators several times and resigned.
However school board minutes labeled his departure, a “retirement.”
But as his past behavior comes to light, police say they aren’t done investigating yet.
“This investigation still is ongoing; I’ve had reports of new people who want to come forward. See if we can give all the people their justice. As we saw in the Sandusky case and the Barto case there were rumors but once the first set of charges came out more victims came forward and they gave their story because they felt like they weren’t heard before and the silent victims decided it was time to come forward as well.”
Court records say Miller remains in the Cambria County Jail on $250 thousand dollar bail.
In a letter to parents Superintendent Tom Mitchell. Said in part
“The Westmont Hilltop School District is cooperating with the local law enforcement and county agencies regarding an ongoing investigation into the alleged actions of a former teacher.
Presently, we are focused on supporting our students and assisting the law enforcement agencies with their investigation to best protect our students. We can assure parents that we communicate all reported incidents of inappropriate behavior to the appropriate agency for investigation.”
