Beth Ann Rosica: Unionville-Chadds Ford School District says complaints are dismissed and unsubstantiated. Documents show otherwise.

The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District (UCFSD) based on allegations lodged by a parent in the district; however, a recent email and press release issued by the district denies the investigation’s very existence.

Chad Williams, a parent of children in the district, is pursuing action against the superintendent and the district for actions he alleges violate state and federal laws, in addition to his constitutional and fundamental parental rights to protect his children from harm and from government instruction hostile to his family’s Christian faith.

The complaints began after Williams learned the district facilitated the administration of third-party surveys to his children without his consent. The surveys contained questions related to sexual activity and practices to which he vehemently objected. After superintendent John Sanville and the school board ignored multiple requests to meet, Williams filed complaints with the state Department of Education, the Office of the Attorney General, and later with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education.

While the state recently closed the complaints due to a potential conflict of interest and lack of resources, the federal investigations are ongoing. However, the UCFSD superintendent sent a letter to the community and the district issued a press release, both of which omit important facts.

Sanville opened the letter, “Dear Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Community,” and continued to write, “The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) recently completed a long and thorough investigation into allegations made against me and has dismissed the case. PDE found ‘no probable cause to believe that there are grounds to pursue disciplinary action’ – which is the strongest possible language of exoneration available in such proceedings.”

Broad + Liberty requested copies from UCFSD of any letters issued from the state regarding the investigation and dismissal of the case, but the district communications office responded only with a copy of their own letter and press release.

“We have attached a copy of yesterday’s press release and community email for your reference. We do not have additional information to share at this time.”

While UCFSD would not share any letters received from the state of Pennsylvania regarding any and all complaints and investigations, Williams provided a letter sent to his attorney from the state Attorney General’s office. The letter explains the state did not want to expend resources to investigate and expressly noted they made no assessment of the merit of claims. 

“Please keep in mind that neither the original decision, nor this decision, should be viewed as a reflection of any assessment of the substantive merits of Mr. Williams’ complaint.”

The Attorney General’s office also noted that Williams may have claims against the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and therefore under state law, they cannot investigate due to a potential conflict of interest in the event they are required to act as defense counsel for PDE. 

The Attorney General’s office says the decision not to investigate the claim is unrelated to the merits of the case, so it is disingenuous for Sanville to assert this is the “strongest possible language of exoneration available in such proceedings.”

After addressing the state complaint, the superintendent’s letter then alludes to the federal investigations, referring to “multiple agencies.” 

“What you may not be aware of is that this complaint was one of several filed by the same individual with multiple agencies, all of which have been dismissed after thorough review,” writes Sanville. “The dismissal of these complaints confirms what we have known all along – these allegations were entirely baseless and without any merit.”

Sanville’s assertion that multiple agencies have dismissed all claims is false based on information obtained from Williams and UCFSD directly. Broad + Liberty contacted the district in March to inquire about the federal OCR investigation, and their communications office responded acknowledging the complaint. 

“The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is aware of the complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office. We are confident in our survey practices and their compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. This particular complaint is one of several filed by the same individual that have been reviewed and dismissed by various agencies after being found without merit. We expect a similar outcome in this case.”

Williams confirmed this complaint is still active as evidenced by the fact that the federal Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) sent a letter to UCFSD on March 21, 2025, requesting information with a four-week deadline as a part of their investigation, and the district subsequently requested a six-week extension as reported by the federal agency.

“In response to SPPO’s initiation letter, the District requested an extension through the end of May to respond; however, Mr. Miller permitted the District an extension until April 30, 2025.”

Both the initiation letter to the district requesting documents related to the allegations and the subsequent email from the federal SPPO to William’s attorney demonstrates this investigation is active and has not been dismissed. The fact the district requested more time to respond and then sent an email and press release to the community claiming all allegations were dismissed is at the least misleading, and at the worst, an outright falsehood.

Sanville announced his retirement a few months ago amid the allegations and the pending investigations with the state, but the district insists the two are not related. 

“There is absolutely no connection between the complaint and Dr. Sanville’s decision to retire,” wrote the communications office in response to a request for comment. “After 38 years of distinguished service in public education, including 14 years leading our district, Dr. Sanville has earned the opportunity to begin a new chapter. His retirement announcement follows a thoughtful decision-making process and comes at a time when our district is thriving academically and organizationally. The Board of Directors formally accepted Dr. Sanville’s retirement at our February 18 meeting, and we have already begun the process of searching for his successor. We are immensely grateful for his leadership and the strong foundation he has built for our district’s continued success.”

Williams believes there is a correlation between the complaints and the unexpected retirement announcement. 

When asked why the district might send out these communications, Williams responded, “honestly, I can’t explain what made John Sanville think it was smart to publish an intentionally and provably false and defamatory statement about me and this matter to the entire school community. I think he’s desperate, and he’s trying to salvage what’s left of his reputation. He’d be better off just admitting the truth, asking for forgiveness and moving on. I’ve given him and the entire school board multiple opportunities to do just that.”

Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.