Coatesville School Officials In The Dark About Abuse To Brothers

By Mike DeNardo

COATESVILLE, Pa. (CBS) -- The Coatesville Area School District says school personnel were unaware that the older brother of a three-year-old boy who was tortured and beaten to death was also being abused.

Coatesville school officials investigated whether school staff had any indication that three-year-old Scott McMillan's six-year-old brother, a kindergarten student, had been abused as well.  The boy had been absent from school for two weeks.

In a letter to parents, schools superintendent Cathy Taschner said that when a child is absent, the school will call and write to parents to find out why.  And if there's no response, she said, a staffer will visit the home.

In this case, the school reportedly left a note for the boys' mother on the door.

Taschner said an internal investigation showed no evidence that school staff missed signs that the six-year-old was being mistreated.

The mother, 31-year-old Jillian Tate, and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Gary Fellenbaum, are charged with torturing three-year-old Scott to death.

In:
• KYW Newsradio 1060
• Chester County
• Coatesville Area School District
• Coatesville Pa.
• Education