Hillcrest School: The Hawley Horror
The Hillcrest School as it appeared in the 1960s. Noted for its close proximity to luxury resorts, golf courses and natural attractions, the historic borough of Hawley in Wayne County is considered a paradise to many. However, for the mentally handicapped residents of Pennsylvania, Hawley was a place synonymous with horror during the 1960s and 1970s. It was here where a husband and wife operated a state-licensed home for mentally handicapped youth, and their inhumane treatment was responsible for the deaths of at least 20 persons under their care, as well as two unsolved disappearances. But it wasn't until the drowning death of 15-year-old Louis Novak in 1972 that state officials began to take a closer look at the Hillcrest School. And what they uncovered sent shockwaves across Pennsylvania. John and Letitia Reilly established the Edward Reilly Center for Retarded Youths (later known as the Hillcrest School) near Hawley in 1962. Allegations of brutality and neglect emerged almost
