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Students with autism abused at Central Bucks school, probe finds
Welcome back to Central Bucks Now's weekly newsletter
James Kratch
May 01, 2025
Welcome back to Central Bucks Now's weekly newsletter! The Bucks County Sheriff’s Office applied to join a federal program granting deputies the authority to enforce certain immigration laws.
In This Week's Newsletter:
🚨 Report alleges abuse, administrative failures
James Short | Central Bucks Now
Non-verbal students with autism at a Central Bucks middle school suffered severe abuse, discrimination and neglect by staff, according to a stunning independent investigation released last week.
The report, authored by Disability Rights Pennsylvania, also alleges district administrators failed to respond appropriately and accuses them of misleading authorities. The three-month probe confirmed a whistleblower’s allegations made last fall.
Among the actions uncovered within a special education classroom at Jamison Middle School:
Use of illegal restraints
Denial of water Verbal harassment
An incident involving a student being encouraged to self-stimulate while undressed on a bathroom floor
All of the above are alleged violations of federal and state law. The report also claims systemic failures by Central Bucks administrators, alleging they were slow to report suspected abuse and often gave incomplete or misleading information to child protective services and law enforcement. The district allegedly told parents and police an internal probe had not substantiated abuse while knowing evidence of abuse existed.
Central Bucks Superintendent Dr. Steve Yanni was placed on administrative leave after the report concluded he was largely responsible for the district’s failures. Two human resources officials have also been placed on leave. The accused teacher and aide are reportedly on medical leave and Principal Dave Heineman — who some alleged had an inappropriate relationship with the accused teacher — is also now on leave. The district has pledged to thoroughly investigate the report’s findings.
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Saturday, May 3
🚘 Heroes & Hotrods Car Show | Horsham VFW Post 9788 | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., more details here
🍅 Locally Grown Showcase | Upper Salford Park in Schwenksville | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., more details here
🌮 Unity for Kindness Food Truck Festival | Upper Gwynedd Township Administration Building | 11 a.m., more details here
🌸 AAPI Community Fair | Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza in Montgomery Twp. | 2-5 p.m., more details here
🤠 Country Line Dancing | Crossroads Fellowship Church in Willow Grove | 7 p.m., more details here
Sunday, May 4
🍺 Wissahickon Trails Craft Beer by the Creek | Four Mills Nature Reserve & Barn in Ambler | 12 p.m., more details here
🎉 El Limon Lansdale Cinco de Mayo Festival | Madison Street | 1-5 p.m., more details here
Through Sunday, May 4
💐 Flowers Art Exhibit | Michener Art Museum in Doylestown | more details here
Through Saturday, May 10
🎭 The Revolutionists | Playcrafters in Skippack Village | Times vary, more details here
🚗 North Montco Tech Car Show | May 3 in Lansdale
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🚔 ‘Angel of Death’ causes havoc in Buckingham
James Short | Central Bucks Now
A Philadelphia man allegedly claimed to be an “angel of death” as he terrorized a Buckingham neighborhood before being shot by police last weekend.
William Francis Campbell, 50, was charged with two felony counts of burglary, felony aggravated assault and felony criminal trespassing and other related misdemeanors. Bail was set at 10% of $250,000 and he was arraigned from his hospital bed after being transported by helicopter to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Campbell is accused of being involved in a single-car crash in Buckingham, then leaving his van and threatening citizens with a metal chain. He was also observed by responding cops to have a box cutter.
Campbell took his pants off during the incident and was hit by a police officer’s taser, but he removed the probe from his body. Campbell then moved toward a retreating cop while brandishing the box cutter and was shot three times.
Police found controlled substances in Campbell’s pants. He has several past criminal convictions, including one for misdemeanor terroristic threats in Philly in 2012.
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🗞️ News Links
🚔 Hatfield rocked by vicious assault
Security footage of the assault
Hatfield was rattled after a pregnant woman was violently assaulted early last Thursday morning outside an apartment complex.
Raymond Anthony Bautista, 36, of Allentown has been charged. Authorities said the victim is the mother of the suspect’s unborn child. He was arrested yesterday and is being held in Montgomery County Jail on $500,000 cash bail.
Police responded to a 911 call at the Hatfield Village Apartments on Maple Avenue around 4:30 a.m. The suspect -- clad in all black with gloves and ski mask -- fled the scene before cops arrived. The woman has since been treated and released at Grand View Hospital.
The attack was captured on security video, which can be seen here. The assailant hit the woman with a flying knee to the back, then straddled her on the pavement and punched her repeatedly. The victim screamed for help, but none came.
Hatfield Police Chief William Tierney called on residents to stop sharing the video of the incident on social media in a lengthy statement posted to Facebook, asking people to respect the victim's privacy and keep the situation from spiraling further within the community.
"Hatfield is a very safe place. Hatfield Village is a safe place," he wrote in part, adding he cannot discuss an ongoing investigation but that cops are "working on it as a targeted crime."
👮♂️ Latest on Ambler officer-involved shooting
James Short | Central Bucks Now
An Ambler police officer fatally shot a borough man brandishing a knife last Saturday night after responding to a suspicious person call at Forest Avenue and School Street.
The deceased — 43-year-old Robert Aguilar Cholula — was carrying a large butcher knife when cops arrived to the scene around 7:34 p.m.; he also had a second knife on his body, according to police. Montgomery County emergency dispatch calls at the time indicated Cholula was suicidal.
Cholula did not comply when ordered to drop the knife; a witness told Fox 29 they believed cops made the command “20-plus times.”
Cholula then ran toward the officers. One cop fired his taser, but it did not stop Cholula. A second officer then fired his gun, hitting Cholula once.
Cholula died of his injuries at a nearby hospital; no officers were injured. Montgomery County Detectives are investigating the incident per Ambler Police protocols.
🏘️ In Other Nearby News
For more on communities in the region, subscribe to the weekly newsletters from our sibling sites — North Penn Now, Philly Daily and Wiss Now — and check out our daily sports newsletter from On Pattison.
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🐶 Rescue Dog of the Week
James Short | Central Bucks Now
Meet Ruby, a four-year-old Shiba Inn being fostered through Home At Last Dog Rescue.
Ruby was rescued from a puppy mill in Lancaster. She is a former mill mom looking for a place to call home. Ruby is house-and-crate trained and loves to go for walks. She can be a little shy when she meets new people, but warms up and shows affection. Ruby does well with other dogs, but younger or high energy kids may be a bit too much stimulation for her.
If you are interested in adopting Ruby or would like more information, you can reach out to Home At Last Dog Rescue at [email protected] or visit the group's website.
Parx Casino in Bensalem has launched its new Sunday Social weekly series to add more sunshine to your Sundays this spring,
Parx will offer something new and exciting every Sunday at its Liberty Bell Beer Garden -- a unique outdoor/indoor open-air seating area that is perfect for all types of weather. The Sunday Social series will include interactive experiences, live music and entertainment, boozy brunches, celebrity appearances and a little bit of March Madness.
A full calendar can be found here. On the schedule this weekend:
Sunday, May 4, 2025: Cinco de Mayo Party
From 5-8 p.m., Parx is hosting a special Sunday Social Cinco de Maya party with frozen margaritas, your favorite Mexican foods and plenty of music. Admission is free. Pay as you go.
🏟️ Play Ball
Thanks for reading! See you next week.
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