Pennlive reported today that Fernando Zagaceta, a houseparent at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, was arrested for felony sex offenses involving a child. Zagaceta has been charged with indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, unlawful contact with a minor – sexual offenses, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children.
This is not the first time an adult affiliated with the Milton Hershey School has been accused of sexual abuse. In 2010, Pennlive reported that Charles Koons, the son of a former house parent, was prosecuted for molesting several Milton Hershey students and dozens of other children.
Students’ abused by a Milton Hershey house parent or other employee should consider speaking with a lawyer as soon as possible. If the School failed to properly screen an abusive teacher or house parent, or did not supervise or otherwise protect a student from sexual abuse while in the School’s care, the School may liable. The Milton Hershey School is one of the wealthiest schools in the country, so the institution has considerable resources available to compensate abuse victims.
Andreozzi + Foote has represented sexual abuse victims in lawsuits against schools for negligently enabling sexual abuse. Our firm is well-known for its work on behalf of sexual abuse victims, including representing 11 of Jerry Sandusky’s victims. If you believe you or a loved one has been a victim of a crime and are interested in exploring a potential civil lawsuit, please contact me immediately at nate@www.victimscivilattorneys.com.
