The Field of Screams lawsuit history is narrower than the controversy around the Mountville, Pennsylvania haunted attraction suggests: the only filed lawsuit tied to the business is a 2009 trademark case against a Maryland namesake. The more serious matter — a 2025 Spotlight PA investigation documenting sexual harassment and abuse allegations from 18 current and former teenage volunteers — has produced police investigations, a Change.org petition, and new statewide safety rules, but no criminal charges and no civil suit against owners Jim and Gene Schopf or their company.1
The Abuse Allegations
Spotlight PA published its investigation in June 2025 after a Facebook group called “Untold Stories of Field of Screams” grew past 1,000 members in late March 2024. Reporters spoke with 18 current and former volunteers who worked at the attraction between 2006 and 2024.
The accounts described sexual harassment, unwanted touching, and sexual coercion involving adult staff and teenage volunteers. Multiple accusers named a long-term volunteer and manager, Mike King, as the primary subject of their complaints. They alleged that King groped teenagers, made explicit sexual remarks, pressured a 17-year-old into sexual activity, attempted to solicit sexual acts from a 15-year-old, and sent nude photographs. Seven people said they personally witnessed King grope individuals on the property.
What the Owners Were Told
Several volunteers said they took allegations directly to the Schopf brothers. Heather Smee told Spotlight PA she reported unwanted touching by King to Jim Schopf, who she said replied that it “wasn’t a big deal” because she was not a minor, though he said he would speak to King. In 2018, former volunteer Cecily Feliz emailed Jim Schopf about an adult volunteer’s sexual relationship with a teenager. Schopf replied that he would look into it, and that volunteer did not return the following season, but Feliz said her follow-up emails went unanswered.
After volunteers posted about their experiences on Facebook in 2020, Jim Schopf convened a meeting where several people detailed allegations of sexual relationships and harassment by King. King did not return for the 2020 season but was volunteering again by 2021 and appeared in a group photo traveling with staff in March 2024.
In a written statement to Spotlight PA, the company said it is “committed to its mission of providing a safe, professional and enjoyable entertainment experience” and called the claims “unsubstantiated.” The statement added: “To be clear, there have been no criminal allegations made against Field of Screams at any time.” The company encouraged anyone with information about criminal behavior to contact police.
Criminal Investigations and Charging Status
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s office first publicly acknowledged the allegations in 2020 but said it could not act without direct reports of a crime. West Hempfield Police Chief Jason Jay said his department documented anonymous online posts and opened investigations only when individuals filed formal complaints.
In 2024, West Hempfield Police conducted what Jay described as “multiple investigations” and forwarded the results to the district attorney. A DA spokesperson, Erik Yabor, confirmed the Special Victims Unit received “a handful of investigations to review for potential prosecution.” Some investigations were never forwarded because officers lost contact with complainants.
As of June 2025, no criminal charges had been filed against anyone connected to the allegations. The DA’s office said charging decisions turn on factors including the statute of limitations and evidentiary requirements.
A Convicted Sex Offender on the Volunteer Roster
A separate Spotlight PA report in October 2025 disclosed that Christopher Rohrbaugh, 62, of Manheim Township, volunteered at Field of Screams from 2022 to 2024 alongside minors. In 2011, Rohrbaugh pleaded guilty to misdemeanor indecent exposure and corruption of minors after exposing himself to two girls, aged 9 and 12, in 2010. He was sentenced to five years of probation.
The company used a third-party background check vendor called Topchecked, which it said failed to flag the convictions because the vendor applied a self-imposed seven-year lookback window for misdemeanors. No Pennsylvania law caps background checks at seven years. Staff learned of the record at the end of the 2023 season, confirmed it with local law enforcement, and still allowed Rohrbaugh to return for 2024. The company said its legal counsel warned that barring a volunteer over a decade-old misdemeanor could create anti-discrimination exposure.
Field of Screams also argued that Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law — which requires volunteers with routine contact with children to obtain child abuse clearances, state police criminal history checks, and FBI fingerprint checks — does not apply because the attraction is a for-profit business not licensed by the state. Legal experts disagreed. State Representative Dan Moul, a sponsor of the 2014 expansion of the law, told Spotlight PA the intent is straightforward: “If you are with minors, you need child clearances.” The Department of Human Services does not advise unlicensed businesses on compliance and refers them to their own attorneys.
Teen Volunteer Classification and Labor Law
Field of Screams classified its teenage workers as volunteers, relying on federal and state exemptions for seasonal and recreational establishments open seven months or fewer per year. That classification stripped them of most labor protections, including inspection and penalty authority.
Pennsylvania’s 2012 Child Labor Act still required the company to obtain state permits for any volunteer under 18 performing in an entertainment context. Field of Screams did not submit any such permits until 2021, nearly a decade after the law took effect. When the state found the noncompliance, it declined to impose fines and instead ran an education campaign for haunted attractions. The Department of Labor and Industry has issued no disciplinary actions against the company.
Volunteers also described being pressured to work shifts running from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., well beyond the six hours of performance time state law allows for 17-year-olds. Additional complaints covered injuries, hazardous site conditions, respiratory problems, and medical incidents handled without notifying parents.
New Statewide Safety Rules
In March 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry announced that every haunted attraction must have a state-approved safety plan before it can obtain permits to use minors in performance roles. Plans must be submitted at least 20 days before permit applications. Since May 1, 2026, attractions without approved plans have been denied permits for minor performers.
The plans must include comprehensive background checks for every adult staff member or volunteer interacting with minors, covering all convictions involving minor victims and all misdemeanor or felony sex offenses. They must also describe training on preventing sexual abuse and harassment, address workplace hazards, and set out reporting and enforcement protocols. The department accepts either the three-step Child Protective Services Law clearances or equivalent third-party checks capturing the same offense categories.
The Petition and Public Response
On June 26, 2025, Elizabeth Fromm created a Change.org petition titled “Shut Down Field Of Screams in Mountville, PA,” calling for “immediate investigation and intervention from the local authorities” and citing allegations of sexual assault, underage drinking, illegal drug use, and labor law violations involving minors. By June 2026, it had gathered 1,280 verified signatures.
In an update posted around July 2025, Fromm noted the owners had responded by committing to mandatory third-party sexual harassment training, a staff tipline, and stronger background checks. Cecily Feliz, one of the former volunteers, attributed the limited public accountability to the Schopfs’ economic footprint in Mountville, a community of about 3,000 people, calling the family “a serious part of the economy of the town.”
The 2009 Trademark Lawsuit
The only actual lawsuit filed by or against the business is a trademark dispute. In October 2009, Field of Screams, LLC sued the Olney Boys and Girls Community Sports Association, a Maryland nonprofit that ran a haunted attraction under the same name. The Pennsylvania company said it had used the name continuously since 1993 and that the Maryland operation, which adopted it in 2002, was causing consumer confusion through misdirected website traffic, booking inquiries, and ticket purchases.
The case was transferred from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. In March 2011, the court denied Field of Screams’ request for a preliminary injunction, finding the company had not shown its mark had acquired “secondary meaning” in the Maryland market before the defendant started using the name. The court dismissed the federal dilution claim but allowed the core trademark infringement and unfair competition claims to proceed.
Where Things Stand for 2026
Field of Screams is preparing for its 34th season in fall 2026. For its “Halfway to Halloween” event on May 2, 2026, the company used only adult actors, saying the timing of the new state requirements made it impractical to file a safety plan for that event. As of that date, the Department of Labor and Industry confirmed the company had not yet submitted a safety plan. Owner Jim Schopf told reporters the plan would be “ready to go” for the fall season and said that for 2026, “every actor at Field of Screams will have the opportunity to be paid.”