The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services ordered an “emergency removal” on Monday of all 64 children currently attending the Glen Mills Schools, the oldest reform school in the country, following abuse allegations. Children residing at the school, about 25 miles west of Philadelphia, will be relocated “as soon as this can be safely accomplished,” and the department’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families will be at the school for the time being to monitor conditions. The move comes after a bombshell Philadelphia Inquirer report published last month detailed a culture of physical abuse at the school.
“As the investigation into allegations raised in recent reporting continues, we must do what is necessary to ensure that no more children are at risk of physical and emotional harm,” Teresa Miller, the state’s DHS, said on Monday. “This removal is one step of an on-going process, and DHS is committed to seeing this investigation through to ensure that any individual responsible for endangering the welfare of children and coercing silence can be held responsible.”
