Bill Halle

While police investigate a report of an inappropriate sexual relationship between Bill Halle, founder of Grace Youth and Family Foundation, and a minor, the city is seeking an organization to replace the foundation and operate its summer food and recreation program.

Butler city police said they are investigating the sexual relationship report that was made by a parent of a 17-year-old who obtained a temporary sexual violence protection order against Halle in Butler County Common Pleas Court last week.

In a comment posted on Facebook Monday night, May 1, Halle said: “I want to thank everyone who has tried to call, text, message, etc., with words of encouragement and support for me. However, I covet your prayers first for the young woman involved.”

The foundation posted a message saying it will not run the summer children’s program this year.

In the meantime, the city is looking with some urgency for an organization to run the Child Summer Food Service and Activities program, as June 9 is the last day of classes for Butler Area School District students who are served by the program.

The city did not have a plan in place to run the program before the report about Halle came to light Monday. However, city officials are talking to a nonprofit organization about operating the program, Mayor Bob Dandoy said Tuesday, May 2. He declined to name the organization, but said representatives from the group might present a proposal to city council at its next meeting May 11.

“We have to find the right partner to do this with,” Dandoy said. “We are talking to someone about the summer program.”

An extension of the free and reduced school lunch program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the summer program provides children and teens, age 18 and younger, in low-income areas with free meals and activities.

The program runs from mid-June to mid-August.

In past years, the city paid the foundation about $8,000 to prepare and serves meals and snacks four days a week for children at Rotary Park, Institute Hill Playground and Father Marinaro Park while the city held activities for the children.

One day a week, the Rotary clubs paid for a bus to take children from all the parks to Alameda Park for lunch and swimming. The city covered the cost of admission to the pool.

Halle also resigned from his role as a member of the Butler Area School District board on Sunday as well as from the boards of the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School and the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV.