Principal Charged With Failing To Report Son For Sexually Abusing 5-Year-Old Girl

A primary school principal in Pennsylvania is facing charges for failing to report a child sexual abuse incident that involved his adult son and a 5-year-old girl.

Gregory Mandalas, 51, is facing criminal charges and will turn himself in, officials said. His son, Matthew Mandalas, was previously charged with felony corruption of minors and misdemeanor indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age, according to CBS News.

As the principal of Knoch Primary School, Gregory is a "mandated reporter" under state law and is expected to report any suspected child abuse to ChildLine services immediately. However, the school principal is accused of "willfully" failing to report that his son sexually abused a child.

Charging documents reportedly state that Matthew, who was 19 years old at the time of the abuse, had touched the then 5-year-old girl's vagina and placed her hand on his penis.

The girl's parents informed Gregory about their daughter's account in August last year. But despite being told about it several times over 22 days, Gregory allegedly did not report the incident.

"(Mandated reporters) are required to report it in a timely manner, and Mr. (Gregory) Mandalas failed to do this," Butler state police public information officer Bertha Cazy said. "It keeps the victim safe from the alleged actor and future victims safe," she added.

The primary school principal is "charged with persons required to report suspected child abuse," Cazy further said.

Matthew was charged last year in connection with the child sexual abuse incident. His attorney, Casey White, said the abuse took place around Christmas of 2021 and that the child victim was Matthew's relative.

"I am shocked that they filed charges against Gregory Mandalas, essentially they want him to report suspected child abuse on his own son to authorities," the attorney told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

White said mandated reporters are for adults in professions like education or health care and added, "What the attorney general's office is essentially doing is pitting his son against his father within a home and it concerns me about the sanctity of the home. That's not why the law was written, in my opinion, but obviously, that is going to be up for a judge to decide."

Gregory, who served as the Knoch Primary School principal since December 2016, was placed on indefinite administrative leave following the allegations, Knoch School District superintendent David Foley said.