PHOTO PROVIDED The sign for Central Mountain High School is pictured.

LOCK HAVEN — After being moved from Bucks County to the Clinton County Court of Common Pleas, new information by the plaintiff in a lawsuit involving Keystone Central School District and a retired teacher/football coach alleging misconduct from a sexual assault in spring 2011 has brought forward a witness and three other victims as far back as 2006.

Initial court documents were filed in July 2025 in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas by Attorney Jay L. Edelstein, Esq. on behalf of Jane Doe.

In these documents, Jane Doe accuses retired teacher, James C. Renninger, of sexually assaulting her when she was 17-years-old and a senior at Central Mountain High School. Renninger taught social studies at the high school at that time.

The lawsuit names the district and Renninger, along with five John Does and five ABC Corporations, as defendants.

However, an amended complaint indicates the names of individuals Jane Doe and other victims accused of not following protocol as mandated reporters to protect them.

It further lists a witness and three new victims, each of which was allegedly assaulted by Renninger between 2006 and 2011.

THE ALLEGED ASSAULT

The original complaint alleges Jane Doe returned to CMHS in spring 2011 following “an involuntary incarceration at a juvenile detention center” for an altercation that occurred while she was on probation for possession of marijuana.

The complaint goes on to say Jane Doe’s return did not feel like a fresh start and she faced ostracization by her peers, teachers and administrators at the high school.

Court documents filed by Jane Doe indicate a “poisonous” environment that made her “susceptible to the subsequent grooming” by Renninger and created a power dynamic “of imbalance and vulnerability” between the two.

Court documents alleged Renninger observed Jane Doe’s mistreatment and harassment and “would go out of his way to treat Jane Doe differently” including smiling at her at school, treating her nicely and complimenting her.

According to court documents, the alleged assault took place on May 6, 2011, when Jane Doe was near Renninger’s classroom.

According to court documents, Jane Doe alleges Renninger observed her peers “were agitating and/or harassing her again” and offered that she could eat lunch in his classroom.

After accepting the offer, court documents state Jane Doe tried to sit in her classroom seat and “without warning or consent” Renninger locked the classroom door and grabbed Jane Doe’s face.

According to the complaint, Renninger allegedly started kissing Jane Doe and placing his hand down her pants and between her legs. He’s further accused in court documents of forcing Jane Doe to perform oral sex and then bending her over a desk and sexually assaulting her.

“Around the same time… students had gathered outside the classroom (and) were trying to enter the classroom but the door was locked,” court documents read.

The complaint alleges that, after the assault, Jane Doe was let go and was in a “daze of confusion, humiliation and emotional pain” and stormed out of the classroom.

Following the assault, the complaint indicates students suspected something inappropriate took place between Renninger and Jane Doe and began spreading rumors about a sexual affair.

On May 10, 2011, members of the CMHS administration interviewed Jane Doe, who denied the incident.

“Jane Doe feared that if she told the truth she would not be believed and would be caused to suffer within the CMHS community,” the complaint stated.

The complaint alleges the high school did not investigate the matter further, offer Jane Doe counseling or refer her to a hospital or school nurse and did not notify Child Protective Services or the local police.

The complaint further alleges that Jane Doe later saw Renninger at the local YMCA where he asked “if she had told anyone that he sexually assaulted her.”

Jane Doe allegedly told the defendant she had not, however “(she) had already told her very close friend” about the assault, court documents state.

It was noted in court documents the assault took place “against the backdrop of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s investigation into the Jerry Sandusky and Second Mile child sexual abuse scandal.”

Documents note CMHS was “the epicenter of the investigation into, ‘victim 1,’ from which initial reports emerged, and Keystone Central and CMHS served as the originating site of what would become a national scandal.”

The complaint alleges the district at the time allowed “ongoing institutional inaction and indifference towards teacher-student sexual misconduct to persist, thereby exposing students to continued risk of harm, emotional trauma and sexual misconduct including minor students like Jane Doe.”

Sandusky was arrested and charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period from 1994 to 2009 following a two-year grand jury investigation.

In 2012 he was found guilty on 45 of the charges and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

The district along with the John Does and ABC Corporations are accused by Jane Doe of negligence, institutional sexual assault, civil conspiracy/aiding and abetting and vicarious liability.

Renninger is accused of negligence, institutional sexual assault, sexual assault and indecent assault, corruption of minors, assault, battery and two counts of intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Jane Doe is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, alleging the assault and misconduct by the district caused her to sustain “severe, painful and permanent personal injury,” court documents say.

A WITNESS COMES FORWARD

An amended complaint filed in Clinton County Court of Common Pleas indicates a witness came forward to allege a staff member at CMHS was made aware of something strange occurring on May 6, 2011, inside Renninger’s classroom.

Documents filed by Edelstein indicated that, following the filing of the original complaint, additional witnesses came forward including “EBH.”

The complaint, filed on Jan. 8, 2026, said EBH was attending a “Health and Occupation” class taught at CMHS by “Ms. Tyler” the day of the alleged assault.

According to EBH’s account, Ms. Tyler’s classroom was diagonal from Renninger’s classroom and they were standing in the hallway with other students waiting to be let into Tyler’s classroom.

“EBH specifically recalls seeing defendant Renninger and Jane Doe enter Renninger’s classroom,” court documents said.

The witness further said they saw Renninger close the door and saw lights in the classroom “suddenly going dark.”

As time went on, court documents indicate EBH and other students began to suspect “the situation was unusual” given Renninger and Jane Doe appear to be alone.

EBH and other students shared these observations with Ms. Tyler who, according to court documents allegedly “in words or substance, instructed EBH and the students to go back to defendant Renninger’s classroom and knock on his classroom door.”

When the students knocked on the door and received no response, the complaint says they returned to Ms. Tyler’s class and indicated there was no response.

At about this time, documents state the school bell rang and “CMHS students presumably scheduled for Renninger’s class began gathering outside Renninger’s classroom door which remained locked.”

EBH further observed the students knock on the door as well and receive no answer, the complaint alleges.

NEW VICTIMS COME FORWARD

The new complaint filed indicated three new victims came forward following initial filing of the assault.

With these new victim statements, the complaint alleged it shows Renningers “pattern of targeting young girls for sexual exploitation within Keystone Central schools” and “Keystone Central employees’ actual and/or constructive knowledge of Renninger’s misconduct.”

The alleged assaults documented in the complaint occurred before Jane Doe’s May 6, 2011, assault.

Prior Victim 1

Prior Victim 1’s assaults allegedly took place while Renninger was a teacher at Bucktail High School when she was a 15-year-old junior in 2005-2006.

The complaint states the victim was a student in Renninger’s class and “one day, as class ended” Renninger approached her and touched her buttocks.

“Defendent Renninger, in words or substance, told (the victim) not to go to lunch, but rather, to stay with him in his classroom,” court documents state. After which, Renninger allegedly closed and locked the classroom door and pulled down his pants, indicating to the victim to “touch his genitalia.”

Court documents note that, due to the victim’s age, she was not able to legally consent to sex with Renninger.

“That day, defendant Renninger had sexual intercourse with (the victim), a fifteen-year-old minor,” court documents allege.

The victim alleges in the complaint that, from that day on, Renninger sexually abused her “nearly everyday.”

“Defendant Renninger would have sex with (the victim) in his classroom with the door locked,” court documents stated.

The complaint further alleges Renninger would have the victim skip her lunch period to have sex with her in his classroom; would have sex with her when she did not have class; would have sex with her in one of the school’s closets.

Court documents allege “rumors of defendant Renninger’s sexual exploitation of (the victim) were widespread throughout Bucktail High School.”

The complaint alleged at least two teachers employed by KCSD had knowledge of the sexual exploitation of the victim, one being a teacher identified as “Ms. Wilson.”

According to court documents, Ms. Wilson allegedly repeatedly asked the victim what was happening and what she and the defendant were doing in the classroom, even asking why the door was locked.

Similar knowledge of the inappropriate conduct was allegedly known by a “Ms. Hendricks,” documents state.

In 2006-2007, while the victim was a senior, the complaint alleges the high school’s principal, “Mr. Smith” learned Renninger had “preyed upon (the victim) and had engaged in an unlawful exploitative sexual relationship with (the victim.)”

Court documents allege Mr. Smith did not “respond to this information as a normal adult or as the administrative head of a high school should have” which included reporting suspected child abuse, separating the victim from Renninger, preserving evidence, coordinating with child protective services and coordinating with law enforcement.

Instead, the complaint alleges Mr. Smith “instructed defendant Renninger to keep his classroom door unlocked moving forward” and did not separate him from the victim.

The victim alleges in court documents Renninger continued to engage in an exploitative sexual relationship with her while she remained a student at Bucktail High School.

Renninger would later become a teacher and coach at CMHS in 2007, documents stated.

Prior Victims 2 and 3

Victim 2, according to court documents, was a female student and member of CMHS’s Class of 2010 when it is alleged he had an unlawful and exploitative relationship with her, court documents said.

“Upon information and belief, rumors of defendant Renninger’s sexual exploitation of (the victim) were widespread throughout CMHS,” the complaint said.

The complaint alleges Renninger “regularly drove to (the victim’s) house and took her out for dates, including sexual intercourse.”

Victim 3, court documents said, was also a female student and member of CMHS’s Class of 2010 when Renninger allegedly had an unlawful and exploitative relationship with her.

Court documents stated Renninger allegedly had lunch with Victim 3 regularly in his locked classroom.

Court documents allege at least four employees at CMHS were aware of the inappropriate relationship between Renninger and the victims: assistant principals Robert Kreger and Steve Turchetta; and school resource officers Lindsey Summers and Todd Brian.

“Since the filing of plaintiff Jane Doe’s original complaint, multiple witnesses have confirmed” these allegations, court documents stated.

OTHER MISCONDUCT

The new complaint alleged even further misconduct on Renninger’s part, stating he “had inappropriate relationships with multiple other female high school students prior to his sexual assault of Jane Doe.”

Documents further alleged Renninger also had a sexual affair with a fellow teacher “where the two individuals were caught kissing in the CMHS art room.”

Documents alleged Renninger was even counseled by KCSD for “allegedly making inappropriate and/or explicit comments to at least one female student at CMHS prior to his sexual assault of Jane Doe.”

The complaint alleges Kreger “confronted defendant Renninger about his sexual involvement with high school students and threatened to ‘catch him.'”