Parents Call Police After Learning Teacher Pulls Students For "Special Project"

According to an affidavit filed by state police Trooper Shawn Barry, the victims in the incidents are a 9-year-old girl, an 8-year-old girl, and three 11-year-old girls. The girls were each interviewed by specialists from the Dauphin County Children's Resource Center, and each described incidents that took place in Mentzer's classroom, some dating back to the 2016-17 school year.

Pennsylvania Real-Time News states that the girls reported that Mentzer would bring them into his classroom, often by telling other school staff that he was working on a project with them. They were then left alone in the classroom with Mentzer, who had them read passages about "communities" and "cities." Several of the girls reported that Mentzer appeared to record these readings with a computer or iPad. During these readings, the girls said that they were instructed to say things like "I will obey you, master" and "I will obey your commands, master."

One girl told authorities that while she was reading, Mentzer began to rub her leg, and then moved on to other areas of her body, mostly over her clothes but also under her short sleeves. She said that she asked him to stop, pushed his hand away, and tried to move away from him, but he continued to rub her while trying to distract her by telling her to look at objects in the room, such as a snowflake or a rock.

In each incident, the girls were given a puppet which they were told to use while reading with Mentzer, who sometimes also had a puppet. Most of the girls described the puppet as a pig, but one girl said it was a pink cat. Mentzer also used a giraffe puppet, according to the girls.

Three of the girls said that Mentzer used a necklace during the incidents, described as a red string with a gold or silver pendant. They said that he held the necklace in front of them, telling them to follow it with their eyes. One girl said that she was given a crown to wear and a wand.

Several of the girls were instructed to return to class right after the incident, but one girl said that she was ordered to go behind the cubby area of the classroom until Mentzer told her to come back out. It was a little while before Mentzer told her he was finished, and she returned to class.

Principal Gary Messinger received reports of the inappropriate conduct by Mentzer on February 19th. He confronted Mentzer about the behaviors and Mentzer admitted to being alone with students in his classroom with the door shut and to having the students call him "master." Mentzer referred to the conduct as a part of his "master plan," according to Messinger. He did not give any videos to Messinger, saying that the recordings did not work. Court documents do not indicate whether such recordings were found.

Mentzer was placed on administrative leave in February when the allegations were made, according to a statement from the Lower Dauphin School District. He has been an elementary school teacher with Lower Dauphin since 2003. The district stated that it "immediately contacted appropriate legal authorities" when the allegations against Mentzer became known in February.