Civil rights suit over former Cambria Heights teacher headed to mediation
Cambria Heights sued over alleged affair between Vescovi, student
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A federal civil rights case in which an area school district is accused of ignoring a romantic relationship between a teacher and one of his female students has been referred to mediation by U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, charges that the Cambria Heights School District in Patton knew about a relationship between a district math teacher, Isaac B. Vescovi, and the student that began when she was a sophomore in high school and continued through her senior year.
The teen victim has filed a federal civil rights case against Vescovi and the school district, contending she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and mental anguish because of the affair.
Vescovi, who was a math teacher and the girls basketball coach at the school, has answered the lawsuit.
He maintains the relationship was consensual.
Vescovi was charged criminally for having sexual contact with a student and received a sentence of eight months to two years of confinement, to be followed by five years of probation.
The school district, in answering the lawsuit, denied it had a policy of ignoring reports of sexual violence and assault of female students that allowed the relationship to continue over a period of time.
The lawsuit is moving through the federal court, step-by-step, but last Friday, Haines issued an order that stated, "The Court finds that this case is appropriate for referral to an alternative form of dispute resolution as provided by the local rules of this Court."
She referred the case to mediation by attorney David White of Pittsburgh, who specializes in settling cases through the federal court's Alternative Dispute Resolution program.
Haines in her order indicated that it will be up to the attorneys for both sides to decide on a date, time and location for the conference and the information is to be reported to the judge by Dec. 14.
The judge stated in her order that the ARD conference should be concluded by Jan. 14, 2026.
While the ARD process has been ordered, preparation for a trial will also continue.
For instance, the judge related the deadline for amending pleadings or adding parties to the lawsuit will be Dec. 14.
Fact discovery shall be completed by March 14, 2026, and a post-discovery status conference has been scheduled for April 14, 2026, Haines ordered.
The plaintiff in the case is referred to only by a pseudonym of Jane Doe.
Each of the parties -- the student victim, the teacher and the school district -- will be responsible for a third of the cost of the mediation process, according to the court order.