Former Glen Mills students reach $3 million settlement with Chester County Intermediate Unit in abuse lawsuit

Maddie Hanna, The Philadelphia Inquirer •

Former students suing the Glen Mills Schools and local and state agencies over systemic abuse at the now-shuttered reform school have settled with the Chester County Intermediate Unit for $3 million.

The settlement, announced late Wednesday, comes nearly four years after Pennsylvania revoked Glen Mills’ license in response to an Inquirer investigation that revealed decades of violence against boys sent to the school in Delaware County. A class-action lawsuit followed.

“These young adults experienced and witnessed abuse and were left to languish in an ineffective, self-directed credit recovery program or diverted to a GED path, while the hope of obtaining a high school diploma slipped away,” said Maura McInerney, legal director at the Education Law Center, which is representing plaintiffs. “They need access to resources now to change their futures.”

Former students who were placed at Glen Mills after April 11, 2017, may be eligible for part of the settlement, as well as former students who attended the center before April 11, 2017, but who hadn’t turned 20 by April 11, 2019, the date the lawsuit was filed. Compensation could include cash payments, compensatory education, or a combination, with amounts based on the number of days students attended the school. Those seeking information about eligibility can email [email protected] or leave a message at 267-515-6853.

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