McKeesport Superintendent Resigns After Allegedly Failing to Report Child Sexual Abuse Allegations

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — As the school year begins, the McKeesport Area School District is in disarray and embroiled in scandal.

KDKA Investigates has learned that an alleged failure to report allegations of child sexual abuse led to the resignation last week of Superintendent Tia Wanzo, and several other employees could lose their jobs. It all stems from a lack of action after the district learned that a security guard had a sexual relationship with an underage student.

Questions arise after superintendent resigns

Following his resignation, questions arose about why Wanzo and the district parted ways.

KDKA Investigates has obtained a copy of an internal investigation accusing Wanzo, the high school principal and a teacher of a “frightening failure,” saying they delayed calling ChildLine about an alleged sexual relationship between a security guard and an underage student.

KDKA-TV has learned that the principal and teacher appeared in termination hearings last week and that two others from the district may follow.

Special Report Says Wanzo Failed to Act

A special report by the council said Wanzo and two others did not call ChildLine when they learned of allegations that security guard Alexis Brown had a sexual relationship with a then-16-year-old student, and that Wanzo did not take steps to expel Brown for months.

Police arrested Brown in January on charges of corrupting a minor. A criminal complaint says she had sex with the student 10 times starting in May of last year and became pregnant.

The report states that another student reported this to a teacher on October 27, 2023. The teacher, in turn, reported it to Dale McCall, the high school principal, who in turn called Wanzo, who was in California at the time.

As educators, all three are required to immediately report allegations of child abuse under state law. But the report said Wanzo told the others to wait until he flew home and didn't report the abuse until five days later.

The report goes on to say that Wanzo did not contact the private security company to fire Brown until December 2023, but by then, Brown had already left the district on maternity leave. The report also says that Wanzo never alerted the district’s board of trustees, attorney or insurance company about the allegations.

“I can neither confirm nor deny the reasons for his resignation. I do not provide opinions or comment on personnel matters,” District Attorney Gary Matta told KDKA-TV last week.

The district declined to comment. However, under a separation agreement, Wanzo voluntarily resigned last week and will receive an annual salary of $173,250.

Sources tell KDKA-TV that McCall and the teacher were suspended with pay and appeared in termination hearings last week, but the investigation is going deeper. KDKA-TV has learned that during those hearings, two other employees were implicated and they were also suspended with pay.

Attorney Tom King, who the board appointed to lead the investigation, also declined to comment, but wrote in the report that the case reveals a “frightening failure” by professional staff to follow the law, saying:

“These failures are extremely serious and have not only exposed the affected employees to legal action, but have also exposed the district to legal action and put the district’s children at risk.”

KDKA-TV reached out to the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office but did not receive a response Monday.