Laurel Highlands School District Faces Backlash After Staff Arrests

Parents and students demand accountability from school board after two district workers were arrested on sex crime charges against students.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 9:52am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a handcuff or other physical evidence related to the alleged sex crimes, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash against a pitch-black background, conveying a stark, gritty, investigative aesthetic.The harsh flash of an investigative photograph captures the grim physical evidence at the heart of the Laurel Highlands School District's reckoning with alleged staff misconduct.Today in Pittsburgh

Families in the Laurel Highlands School District are pressing for change after two district workers were arrested last month on alleged sex crimes against students. At a recent school board meeting, parents and students expressed outrage over the incidents and called for the superintendent's resignation, claiming the issues were widely known but nothing was done. The school board announced that one of the arrested staff members, Daniel Cervoni, had resigned the day before the meeting, while the other, Martin Gatti, was fired a few weeks ago. The district has hired an external law firm to investigate their policies and procedures in response to the community's concerns.

Why it matters

The arrests have sparked a reckoning within the Laurel Highlands community, with parents and students demanding accountability from school leadership and calling for a complete overhaul of the district's approach to student safety and abuse prevention. The case highlights the devastating impact that staff misconduct can have on a community and the urgent need for robust policies, training, and oversight to protect vulnerable children.

The details

Two Laurel Highlands School District staff members, Martin Gatti and Daniel Cervoni, were arrested last month on charges related to alleged sex crimes against students. At a recent school board meeting, parents and students expressed outrage over the incidents, with many calling for Superintendent Jessie Wallace's resignation. The school board announced that Cervoni had resigned the day before the meeting, while Gatti was fired a few weeks ago. The district has hired an external law firm, MBM Law, to investigate their policies and procedures in response to the community's concerns.

  • Last month, Martin Gatti and Daniel Cervoni were arrested on charges related to alleged sex crimes against students.
  • A few weeks ago, the school board voted to fire Martin Gatti.
  • One day before the recent school board meeting, Daniel Cervoni resigned from the district.

The players

Jessie Wallace

The superintendent of the Laurel Highlands School District, who has faced calls to resign from parents and students in the wake of the staff arrests.

Martin Gatti

A former Laurel Highlands School District staff member who was arrested on charges related to alleged sex crimes against students and was subsequently fired by the school board.

Daniel Cervoni

A former Laurel Highlands School District staff member who was arrested on charges related to alleged sex crimes against students and resigned from the district one day before the school board was set to vote to fire him.

MBM Law

The external law firm hired by the Laurel Highlands School District to investigate their policies and procedures in response to the community's concerns.

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What they’re saying

“We're doing everything we can to make sure that we are following all the procedures and policies that are in place for child abuse. We don't want any student taken advantage of or groomed or anything of that nature, and we take every allegation seriously and we're going to continue to take every allegation seriously.”

— Jessie Wallace, Superintendent, Laurel Highlands School District

What’s next

The external investigation by MBM Law into the Laurel Highlands School District's policies and procedures is ongoing, with no timeline provided for when the investigation will be completed.

The takeaway

The Laurel Highlands School District is facing a crisis of trust within the community, with parents and students demanding a complete overhaul of the district's approach to student safety and accountability. The arrests of two staff members on sex crime charges have exposed deep-seated issues that the district must urgently address to regain the community's confidence and protect vulnerable students.