Dauphin County Courthouse
HARRISBURG, Pa. – A former Dauphin County student says she was groomed, sexually abused and impregnated by her wrestling coach and is suing a school district for allegedly allowing it to happen.
A Jane Doe last week sued the Central Dauphin School District and Alexander Sweigard, a middle school teacher who has pleaded guilty to dissemination of explicit sexual material to a minor and intercourse/sexual contact with a student, among other charges.
An investigation began in September 2024 when a 16-year-old girl showed her phone to authorities, revealing Sweigard, now 35, had sent nude photos to her and encouraged her to send some to him.
He had similar communications with another girl and admitted to having sex with a student who was 18 years old, reports say.
The plaintiff was a member of the boys wrestling team at Central Dauphin High School. As there was no separate team for girls, Sweigard ordered separate practices at which he was the only coach present, the suit says.
Sweigard began texting Jane Doe messages like “I care about you” and “I’m proud of you,” the lawsuit alleges. When he wasn’t chosen to coach the new girls-only team during Jane Doe’s senior year, he allegedly still maintained his “grooming” by helping her find a college.
“During this time Sweigard began telling Jane Doe how pretty she was and that ‘girls did not look like this back in my day,’” the suit says.
The alleged grooming included pleas for her to break up with her boyfriend, telling her that her teammates did not like her to make her feel isolated, having her babysit his children and encouraging her to smoke marijuana.
“In February 2024, when Jane Doe was 17 years old, and while she was under the influence of marijuana provided by Sweigard, he raped her in his home,” the suit says.
Sex continued, including at least one instance in the school’s weight room, the suit says. Jane Doe became pregnant with his child and had a miscarriage the night before graduation, the suit says. After he was arrested, Jane Doe learned that she was again pregnant.
The school district failed to protect her, she says. Employees were given an environment where it was easy to gain unmonitored access to students, the suit says.
Guy D’Andrea and Ragha Narasimhan of Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan represent the plaintiff.
