In late 2011, a 13 year old was denied admission to the school because he was HIV-positive. The school initially defended its decision, citing safety concerns; an anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania led to a settlement of $700,000 for the boy's family and a reversal of the policy. The school again provoked controversy in 2013, when 14-year-old student Abbie Bartels committed suicide shortly after being denied attendance to the school's eighth-grade graduation. A CNN report noted their policy of requiring students to be "free of emotional and behavioral problems". The school later sued Bartel's family, alleging the family was liable for her death. In 2016, "The Philadelphia Inquirer" reported that, in response to Bartel's suicide, the school was being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for potential violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.