A school principal in Butler County was charged with failing to report child abuse after learning that his adult son was accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old, according to authorities.

State police charged Knoch Primary School Principal Gregory G. Mandalas with a misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse, according to court records.

The Knoch School District has placed Mandalas on paid administrative leave. School officials declined to make any additional comments beyond the statement issued by Superintendent David Foley on the school’s website that said:

“Due to the serious nature of the charges, Dr. Mandalas has been placed on indefinite administrative leave. It is the district’s understanding that the charges and alleged conduct of Dr. Mandalas do not involve a Knoch School District student. This is a confidential personnel matter. Therefore, I am unable to provide specific details at this time. However, I will work with the solicitor’s office to provide as much information as legally permitted moving forward.”

According to the state Department of Human Services, the requirement that mandatory reporters notify authorities when they suspect child abuse is not limited to when they working.

Mandatory reporters who fail to report any instances of suspected child abuse could face charges ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony, according to DHS.

School employees are among the people in the state who are considered mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse. Other people required to report suspicions include health care workers, day care staff, clergy and police.

Mandalas’ son, Matthew G. Mandalas, 20, of the 200 block of Seminole Trail in Center Township, was charged Aug. 26 with a felony count of corruption of minors along with a count of indecent assault of a person under the age of 13.

Court records show Mandalas was released from the Butler County jail on the day he was arrested after a Pittsburgh bail agency posted a $50,000 bond on his behalf.

He was ordered to stand trial on the charges after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Lewis E. Stoughton on Dec. 20. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 28 before Judge Kelley Streib, court records show.

State police wrote in a criminal complaint that they received a state ChildLine notification Aug. 8 that the child told her mother that Mandala touched her inappropriately.

A trooper observed a forensic interview of the child at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County on Aug. 15, police said.

During the interview, the child told police she was touched inappropriately by Mandalas sometime during December 2021 because she recalled seeing a Christmas tree in the room, the complaint said.

State police wrote in Gregory Mandalas’ arrest papers that he failed to report the alleged abuse to authorities multiple times after being contacted by the child’s mother.

The ChildLine report was filed Aug. 4 by a Grove City police officer who is a family member of the child’s mother, police said.

Police said the girl’s mother also contacted Mandalas on Aug. 4 to inform him about the allegations her daughter made against his son.

She called Mandalas again on Aug. 7, but he told her that he had not questioned his son about the allegations, police said. He also failed to report the alleged incident through the state ChildLine system after receiving the call, according to his arrest papers.

On Aug. 9, the child’s mother told Mandalas that her daughter detailed the alleged abuse to a counselor, police said.

She called Mandalas again Aug. 20 about the incident, but he told her he did not believe the accusations and that there was no evidence to support the claim, according to the arrest papers.

The woman told police that Mandalas asked her to keep the suspected abuse “in the family,” according to investigators.

Police said the girl’s mother provided them with details of a conversation she had with Matthew Mandalas on Aug. 24 in which he admitted to abusing her daughter and said he confessed to his father about what occurred, according to the arrest papers.

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