SVRC School Suspends Charged Administrator

LOGANTON — The board of the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School has suspended its chief executive officer in the wake of charges filed against her.

The indefinite suspension was announced on Friday, a week after the school’s CEO Logan Coney was charged by state police with failure to report two cases of child abuse to the state. According to a brief statement from the Loganton-based school, “The board has met and determined to suspend Ms. Coney indefinitely from her position, both as Sugar Valley’s chief executive officer and as a teacher.”

The board said the action would give the accused “a full opportunity to focus on her defense.” Tracie Kennedy, the school’s elementary supervisor, was named interim CEO.

State police at Lamar have charged Coney, a Lewisburg resident, with failure to report two cases of child abuse to the state. Investigating officer Curtis Confer said as the school’s lead administrator Coney is a mandated reporter. His report said his office conducted an investigation at the Loganton school and the accused “failed to report child abuse to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services on two separate occasions.”

The police report listed the period of the incidents as October 2013 and April 24, 2014. Charges were filed before District Court Judge John Maggs. An initial court appearance has been set for Oct. 27.

The school has been the subject of an extended series of hearings on its future. The Keystone Central School Board has to pass judgment on renewal of the school’s five year charter. That vote likely won’t come until February of this year. The board had voted earlier this year to deny the school charter and the hearings resulted from the school’s appeal of that decision.