Principal from Abington charged with sex with student; district sued

School officials ignored a teacher's concerns that an assistant principal was having a sexual relationship with a special-needs student because they did not want "to ruin a man's career," claims a federal suit filed this week.

The teacher initially reported the relationship in April. It wasn't until six months later that police were tipped off by another student that an investigation commenced, and the assistant principal was arrested.

Shawn Sharkey, 43, of Abington, surrendered to police Sept. 21 after police examined extensive phone records documenting the alleged relationship. Sharkey was charged with sexual contact with a student, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor. He was released after posting $50,000 bail.

According to the suit, Sharkey was hired by the Susquehanna Township School District in December 2012. The job, at Susquehanna Township High School in suburban Harrisburg, paid a salary of $82,000.

Sharkey took the job but continued to live in Abington, Montgomery County.

School district officials could not comment on the suit, but said Sharkey's resignation was approved by the school board Oct. 28.

The 16-year-old girl, identified as "M.S.", first encountered Sharkey alone on Feb. 1 in the school nurse's office where the girl had gone to get a Band-Aid, the lawsuit alleges. While the two were left alone, Sharkey allegedly slipped the girl his personal cell phone number. Later that day, Sharkey texted the girl. She called him that night.

Sharkey asked where she lived. Ten minutes later, as her father slept, the girl snuck out of the house and Sharkey drove her to a local motel where they had sex, according to the suit. Sharkey returned the girl to her house at 1 a.m.

The late-night assignations continued for months at a local Red Roof Inn where Sharkey booked rooms on Tuesday and Thursday nights. When he wasn't staying the night, he called her nearly every day after school as he drove home to his wife in Abington, the suit states.

It wasn't long before other students noticed the "special attention" Sharkey was giving the girl, the lawsuit said. Teachers wondered why the girl was being called to the office so many times. Suspicious students referred to the girl with slurs.

In April, a teacher took her own suspicions to administrators, reporting that Sharkey having a sexual relationship with the girl.

Rather than call police, another assistant principal pulled the girl and five other students from class "to discuss the statements and slurs." With Sharkey present, the students denied making any comments about Sharkey and the girl. The girl denied she was having any sort of relationship with Sharkey. The other assistant principal never questioned the girl without Sharkey present, the suit states.

Later, the girl was questioned by the district superintendent, who asked if she was having inappropriate contact with Sharkey, but according to the suit, never asked directly if she was having a sexual relationship.

Assistant Superintendent Cathy Taschner told the girl's mother they were looking into the allegations, but several days later called to tell the mom they were unsubstantiated, the lawsuit alleges. During the same conversation, Taschner allegedly said that "they were not going to ruin a man's career over these rumors."

Officials took no further action and Sharkey continued to have contact with the girl into the summer months, the lawsuit said.

At the beginning of the new school year, a student reported the relationship to a district resource officer who notified police. Questioned by police, the girl broke down, began to cry, and described her ongoing relationship with Sharkey, according to court documents.

Accoriding to the suit, Sharkey denied any improprieties to police and claimed he had no idea how she had got his personal phone number. He said he had discussed school issues and the girl's personal problems with the girl, but nothing further. Asked directly about physical contact, he said he may have "side hugged" her.

He said he had "no explanation for why someone would make these allegations against him and said he was hurt by them," according to court documents.

The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, claims the district violated the girl's 14th Amendement rights by failing to provide for her personal security; failing to investigate allegations of misconduct; being deliberately indifferent to Sharkey's alleged conduct; battery; negligence; and negligent hiring for failing to notice that Sharkey had a previous criminal record.