Superintendent speaks on Lackawanna Trail incident

EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — A high school principal is facing charges for failing to report an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student in Wyoming County.

42-year-old Mark Murphy, of Clarks Green, was the principal at Lackawanna Trail High School when several teachers reported the allegations to him.

Police say the investigation began after a concerned parent reported a possible sexual relationship between a teacher and a student.

Multiple teachers also reported the allegations to Murphy, but instead of notifying authorities, he told them he would handle it himself and even warned them not to report it. A search warrant revealed Murphy documented his investigation, keeping notes in his office closet, but police say he failed to meet his legal obligation as a mandated reporter.

As a mandated reporter, Murphy was required by law to report any suspicions or knowledge of child abuse or inappropriate conduct to authorities immediately, but police say he did not.

In a statement to 28/22 news on this matter, Lackawanna Trail Superintendent Matthew Rakauskas says:

I placed Dr. Murphy on administrative leave on August 27 in response to the Pennsylvania State Police serving a search warrant for school records related to the allegation of a sexual relationship between a Lackawanna Trail teacher and student. The district has fully cooperated with the state police and the district attorney’s office throughout this investigation. Since August 27 Dr. Murphy has not acted in the capacity of high school principal. The PSP investigated the alleged teacher-student sexual relationship but did not file charges. I placed that teacher on administrative leave from February through late August and has since been reinstated as a teacher.

Matthew Rakauskas

Murphy was released on unsecured bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 15.

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