Twenty staffers at a suburban Philadelphia charter school are facing charges related to the alleged physical abuse of students using painful, unapproved techniques to restrain and punish youths in a program meant to help them deal with emotional issues, authorities announced Monday.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said the counts involve acts against 26 children in kindergarten through fifth grade at the Chester Community Charter School. Those charged are accused of physically abusing the students or failing to report suspected abuse.

The investigation by Chester police began after two parents complained to school officials in January that their children were afraid to attend the school due to fears of being placed in “holds” by school staff.

“This case is every parent’s nightmare. We send our children to school expecting the adults will keep them safe, not abuse them physically and emotionally,” Stollsteimer said. “Our investigation showed some staffers physically abusing children while other (adults) sat passively and watched. All the adults charged are equally guilty in failing to protect these children, some as young as 5 years old.”

The district attorney said the alleged abuse occurred in a program for children who required help with their emotions in dealing with school life, fellow students and other situations.

The police investigation determined that nine of the defendants used techniques to restrain and punish children in the school’s emotional support program, he said.

Stollsteimer said that included painful techniques such as pinching students on pressure points near their necks, holding students in restraints, placing them in holds with their arms crossed in front of them and having a knee applied to their back until the student was brought to the ground.

Many of these abuses were captured on surveillance camera footage obtained and reviewed by investigators, Stollsteimer said.

Those charged include several people employed by a private firm, Peak Performers Staffing. Stollsteimer said a company founder had offered the school assurances its staff was properly trained, but when investigators sought records documenting staff training in utilizing restraints and/or crisis prevention techniques, it was learned none of the company’s staff had completed the required training.

School officials confirmed to investigators that any use of a “safety hold” must be reported under state guidelines. But officials said no such holds were reported by the school during 2024, when many of the abusive acts were alleged to have taken place.

Nine people face multiple counts, including conspiracy, unlawful restraint, child endangerment and false imprisonment. The 11 others are charged with at least one count of failure to report child endangerment. All of the defendants are classified under state law as mandated reporters of suspected child abuse incidents.

A few of those charged were in custody as of Monday afternoon, and Stollsteimer said many others had made arrangements to surrender shortly.

Voice mail messages left Monday for the school administration office and at a phone number listed for Peak Performers Staffing were not returned. The school, though, released a statement saying it was fully cooperating with the police and had ended its contract with the company once school administrators learned there may have been possible violations of approved disciplinary methods.

School employees accused of taking part in the abuse were fired, according to the statement, while those who may have been aware of the alleged abuse were put on leave.

“As soon as school administrators learned that there was any possible violation of approved (disciplinary) methods, it took swift and decisive action to terminate the contractor,” the school statement said.

According to its website, the school was established in 1998 and now serves more than 4,000 students in the Chester-Upland school district in Delaware County, accounting for two-thirds of that district’s overall public school enrollment. It serves kindergarten through eighth grade on four campuses.