SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and its parent company failed to protect a minor from a park employee who later pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her, a lawsuit filed this week alleges.
The suit, filed by the law firm Andreozzi + Foote, a Harrisburg firm specializing in sexual abuse cases, claims the amusement park and its corporate operators were negligent in hiring, supervising and retaining Anthony Casio.
Casio is accused of grooming and assaulting a 15-year-old girl he met while working at the park in 2021.
Casio continued communicating with the girl under that false pretense and, over time, engaged in inappropriate physical contact while persuading her the behavior was harmless.
According to the lawsuit, filed in Lehigh County Court, the girl visited Dorney Park’s Haunted Halloween attraction in September 2021, where she encountered Casio, then 22, who was working at the display.
The suit alleges Casio falsely told the victim he was 17, befriended her and exchanged social media contact information.
Attorneys say Casio continued communicating with the girl under that false pretense and, over time, engaged in inappropriate physical contact while persuading her the behavior was harmless.
Pleaded guilty in 2022
The complaint alleges the encounters between Casio and the victim escalated, culminating in an October 2021 meeting at a hotel in Emmaus, where Casio became physically aggressive and raped her.
Court records show Casio was charged in June 2022 with statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors.
The case later was transferred to Lehigh County Court, where he entered a negotiated guilty plea.
In July 2023, a judge sentenced Casio to three to 10 years in prison on the statutory sexual assault charge, followed by seven years of probation for corruption of minors.
He also has been classified as a sexually violent predator.
Prior sexual assault
The civil lawsuit alleges Casio had a documented history of sexual misconduct prior to being hired, including a previous sexual assault charge.
The suit argues the park and its operators failed to conduct adequate background checks or take appropriate precautions.
“Businesses that invite families onto their property have a responsibility to take meaningful steps to protect minors. When they don’t enforce necessary protections, the consequences can be devastating.”Veronica Hubbard, a partner at Andreozzi + Foote, in a release
In 2015, Casio admitted to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in the basement of Dieruff High School. He was 15 at the time and was sentenced to a juvenile detention facility.
The court had jurisdiction over Casio until he turned 21.
The suit claims the defendants placed Casio in a position with access to minors and let him remain there, despite warning signs, creating what attorneys describe as a foreseeable risk of harm.
“These allegations raise serious concerns about how individuals with known histories of misconduct are placed in positions around children,” Veronica Hubbard, a partner at Andreozzi + Foote, said in a release.
“Businesses that invite families onto their property have a responsibility to take meaningful steps to protect minors. When they don’t enforce necessary protections, the consequences can be devastating.”
The lawsuit seeks compensation for damages on behalf of the victim.
It asserts claims of negligence, negligent hiring and negligent supervision and retention against Dorney Park and its parent companies, Cedar Fair LP and Six Flags, which merged in 2024 and became Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
Attorneys involved in the case are encouraging anyone who may have had similar experiences involving park employees to come forward by contacting the firm via email at info@vca.law.
According to the state Department of Corrections, Casio is currently incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution Benner Township, Centre County.
A Dorney Park spokesperson said the company does not comment on pending litigation
