Teen sues former soccer coach imprisoned for sex assault, Chambersburg school district

A former Chambersburg student who was sexually assaulted by her soccer coach is suing the school district and the currently incarcerated former coach, alleging district officials enabled the man's behavior and created an environment of bullying and harassment. 

The former student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a complaint Friday in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. It names as defendants Jeffrey Hand, the former soccer coach who is serving up to five years in prison, Chambersburg Area School District and district officials including Superintendent Joseph Padasak, then-Chambersburg Area Senior High School principal Cathy Dusman, teacher Katherine Barnhart (also spelled "Barnhardt" in the complaint) and five others identified as only "John Does 1-5." 

Jane Doe, now 19, claims all defendants violated her 14th Amendment rights, including her right to bodily and reputational integrity, among other things; that CASD subjected her to sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title IX, a federal civil rights law on sexual discrimination; that Barnhart and Hand intentionally inflicted emotional distress; and that Hand subjected her to sexual assault and battery. She demands a jury trial and is seeking all available damages, plus interest, costs, attorney's fees and other appropriate relief. 

Hand, now 37, pleaded guilty in 2017 to intercourse/sexual contact with a student and corruption of minors, both third-degree felonies. He was sentenced in February 2018 to serve one to five years in state prison, followed by five years of probation. He is in the state prison in Coal Township. 

The relationship between Hand and the student came to light in December 2016 following reports to school administration. 

In the lawsuit, the former student says she had known Hand since she was about 10 years old, when he was her coach in a youth soccer organization.  

He began "grooming" her following her parents' divorce when she was 16, and continued to do so through part of her senior year. Seemingly "innocuous" behavior that Jane Doe willingly took part in progressed to their first sexual encounter in September 2016. Several encounters in which Hand "plied" the girl with alcohol took place up until Dec. 13, 2016, according to the complaint. 

Jane Doe alleges Hand had been accused of sexually assaulting another student prior to 2016, and that the school district did an internal investigation without involving police. Hand was suspended from his coaching duties at that time, but was reinstated at the conclusion of the investigation "without appropriate monitoring or discipline," the complaint states. 

The complaint lists two incidents in which colleagues of Hand's brought up his inappropriate behavior with student-athletes. A female coach reported to either the head coach or athletic director that Hand had asked the JV players to lift up their shirts. The head soccer coach, Ed Franchi, said he needed to counsel Hand regarding his "disturbing behavior," including being "too handsy" with players, the complaint states. 

Jane Doe says Hand's continued employment despite these incidents allowed him to stay in a position in which he could target her, the complaint states. 

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Student 'victimized' in meeting with district officials

Jane Doe alleges in the complaint that she was "humiliated, verbally attacked and accused" by members of school administration during a meeting after Hand's behavior with her was reported. 

The meeting on Dec. 14, 2016, involved Dusman, an assistant superintendent who was serving as the interim high school principal at the time, assistant principals Jamie Vinglass and (now principal) Brad Ocker, and athletic director Jeremy Flores. The student's mother was also called in to the meeting. 

The student claims Dusman called her a liar and demanded to search her phone, and that Vinglass asked if she was sexually active and said she had "heard" she was. 

"The conduct of the CASD senior administrators in the meeting was so deplorable that Jane Doe's mother had to remind them multiple times that Jane Doe was the victim," the complaint states. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, Jane Doe's condition was "so uncharacteristically fragile" that her mother took her directly to the Chambersburg Hospital's emergency room, according to the complaint. 

Senior year marked by bullying

According to the complaint, the administration's promise of confidentiality at the meeting was followed by a period of bullying by students and the defendant Barnhart, a teacher who was in a relationship with Hand at the time.

Jane Doe was called derogatory names, and her car was keyed and shot with paintballs. 

Attempts to get Dusman and Padasak to take action to stop the bullying were not successful, according to the complaint. Jane Doe's mother contacted Padasak about putting in place a "re-entry plan" for her daughter's return to school in January, but the harassment and bullying continued, with Barnhart's alleged encouragement. 

Jane Doe experienced serious emotional distress and physical symptoms and "accordingly, instead of experiencing the joy of her high school senior year, Jane Doe experienced regular and severe harassment, bullying and humiliation. Jane Doe often skipped classes to get away from the harassment, bullying and humiliation and went through medical treatment and counseling to try and cope," the complaint states. 

The former student remains in counseling to this day, according to the complaint. 

In response to a request for comment, CASD representative Mark Long said the district's solicitor is still reviewing the complaint and there is no information to share at this time.