Local district’s peer jury program aims to keep student offenders out of juvenile courtrooms

LEETSDALE, Pa. — Some might question if juveniles can be trusted to fairly judge their peers. The Quaker Valley School District says its peer jury program is proof that they can. The program is preparing for another school year with no signs of slowing down and data that supports their argument that other districts should follow suit.

“As a high schooler, everybody does stupid things,” said Quaker Valley senior Lily Tarkin. “We mess up. We make impulsive decisions that we don’t realize how much those can affect us in the long term.”

Tarkin served on the peer jury last school year and will again for the 2024-2025 school year. She is passionate about the student-driven court diversion program the district implemented for grades 6 through 12.

“We understand what they’re going through instead of like a magistrate who hasn’t been in high school in like 20 years,” Tarkin said.

The goal of the program is to keep kids out of criminal courts.

“We’re eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline so they’re not getting placed into the court system and having a difficult time getting back out of that,” said Chief of School Police Aaron Vanatta. “Any offense that you could think of that happens out there in the community basically happens in our schools too.”

In addition to being the police chief, Vanatta is also the district’s safety and security coordinator.

He explained that after a student gets in trouble, a case is sent to peer jury only if and after the student offender admits guilt. The offenses eligible for peer court range from drug possession and underage drinking to simple assault.

“We have the kid step out. We talk to the parent, kind of get like what their home life is like, how they are as a person, as a student at home,” Tarkin said.

Chief Vanatta said 95% of the offenders who completed the program did not re-offend. The students acting as jurors also learn something.

“Our students are so compassionate, and they show empathy, and they look past the offense itself, and they get to the underlying issue.”

Tarkin said applying to serve on peer jury is one of the best decisions she’s made during her high school career.

“Nobody is perfect, and I think everyone deserves a fair chance to be tried by people in the same situation, their peers that they know,” Tarkin said.

The concept of peer juries has gained a lot of attention in Allegheny County and in Harrisburg. Chief Vanatta said he was invited to the Capitol last fall to talk to lawmakers about Quaker Valley’s program.

Vanatta said the district’s program was just selected by Allegheny County Juvenile Court as its community-based program of the year.

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