Principal reassigned during investigation

A letter sent to parents of Washington Elementary School students has alerted them to a school district investigation regarding the building’s principal.

In a post on The Mercury’s Facebook page, a parent accused Principal Christopher Iacobelli of inappropriately restraining and screaming at her 7-yearold daughter, who had been reluctant to go to school because of bullying.

The Mercury is withholding the name of the parent to protect the child’s identity.

The parent initially contacted state police, but troopers referred the matter to school district officials.

“I stopped and heard a man’s voice screaming and saw through

the glass corridor the principal with ******* ’s back to the wall screaming in her face. I immediately went back and banged on the door to let me in, they all saw me there and the principal continued screaming in her face not

letting me in,” the parent wrote in a letter sent to all school board members and shared online.

“I called to ******* to come to me. The principal began shouting “no” several times and would not allow ******* to walk past him. I told him I was taking my daughter with me and told her to come to me. She was able to come to me and we exited the school,” the parent

wrote to school board members.

“Upon arriving home, I contacted the state police and while trying to calm ******* down, I noticed what appeared to be identical finger marks on both of her upper arms. I will attach pictures that the state police have of the marks on her arms,” the parent wrote.

In his letter to parents, Boyertown Superintendent

Dana Bedden confirmed that the district had received the complaint.

“I want you to know that we take the well-being of our students and staff very seriously,” Bedden wrote. “We are in the process of actively investigating this issue.”

Bedden added, “please be assured that during this investigation, should we receive any indication of concern

beyond this alleged incident that presents a safety concern for our students or staff, we will take immediate action to ensure their safety. We will also keep you informed, as much as allowed by confidentiality laws and regulations.”

He ended by noting “I ask that each of you be patient while the district investigates this matter.”

Iacobelli has worked for

the school district for more than 10 years and has been moved to an administrative position during the investigation, which could take a week or more, according to the administration.

Approximately 455 students attend Washington Elementary School, according to the district’s website, which makes no mention of the investigation.