Field of Screams
Teen volunteers were harassed, groped, and pressured into sex by adults at a popular Pa. haunted attraction, former staff say
When Danica Gabrielson’s 31-year-old manager started texting her, she was surprised.
It was 2011, the 16-year-old's first season as a volunteer actor at Field of Screams, a haunted attraction in Lancaster County that has grown from a modest spooky hayride into a destination touted as one of the best in the country.
Gabrielson remembers texting her friends to see if they had also heard from him, and when they said no, she was excited. His attention felt special.
She said she had heard him make sexual comments, and seen him groping other volunteers as he passed them on the property or in the makeup room. But as a teenager, she said, she didn’t question the behavior. She thought it was normal.
When Mike King grabbed her butt for the first time, she said, she thought she was fitting in.
The extra attention continued, she said. He drove her around the company property on an ATV. He kissed her in his car. More comments. More touching. It was all new to Gabrielson.
After picking her up on a four-wheeler at the end of one night in 2012, King stopped on the hayride path near Corn Cob Acres, a fall family-themed attraction on the property. Gabrielson said he told her to stand up, and he stood behind her. King spoke into her ear.
She didn’t understand him at first.
“I was like ‘What?’” she said in an interview with Spotlight PA. “And he said it again, ‘Do you want it?’ And before I responded, he was pushing me down and I was bent over and that was that.”
At 17, Gabrielson was a virgin. King was 32.
As a teenager and now as an adult, Gabrielson views the moment as consensual. But she's come to see their relationship as shaped by unequal power and enabled by a toxic workplace.
Every year, Field of Screams serves up scares to paying visitors from throughout the mid-Atlantic. But a Spotlight PA investigation found a pattern of allegations that the true horrors occurred behind the scenes, and accusations that management failed to adequately respond.
Interviews with 18 current and former volunteers who worked at Field of Screams from 2006 through 2024 described a hostile environment where some unpaid adult staff sexually harassed, forcibly grabbed, and groped young volunteers, and pressured teenagers into sex.
In response to Spotlight PA questions, the company issued a statement saying it is “committed to its mission of providing a safe, professional and enjoyable entertainment experience for the whole family.”
“We are aware of unsubstantiated claims made against Field of Screams by a small handful of former volunteers,” the company said. "To be clear, there have been no criminal allegations made against Field of Screams at any time."
The statement also said Field of Screams takes these claims seriously and encourages anyone to report potential criminal behavior to the police.
“The company also takes seriously its responsibility to report abuse of any kind against a minor to the legal authorities.”
Several volunteers said they brought allegations of abuse directly to the brothers in charge — Jim and Gene Schopf — and while they were assured they would be investigated, the accused continued in supervisory positions.
Frustrated by the lack of action, volunteers in 2020 began posting about their experiences on Facebook. But local law enforcement officials and the county district attorney said they could not respond to the posts without directly receiving reports of crime. And when asked by a reporter at the time, they declined to comment on the status or existence of any investigation.
To date, no legal action has been brought against any of the accused. One volunteer interviewed by Spotlight PA said they worry the Schopf brothers' prominence in Mountville Borough, a community of just 3,000 residents, has insulated them from accountability.
“The brothers have a stock in major events that go on in Mountville,” said Cecily Feliz, a former volunteer actor interviewed by Spotlight PA. “They are a serious part of the economy of the town and will flaunt the wealth they have openly … That's why [former volunteers have] been trying for years to get [allegations] out and nothing has come out.”
Imposing presence
Gabrielson said she felt shocked when she went to her car that night after sex with King. She wondered what people would think of the age difference.
Volunteers described King as an imposing presence who was loud and abrasive. In a given shift, he was either making fun of or yelling at someone, they said. He often made explicit sexual remarks. And his response when anyone got upset? “It’s not that serious.” “It’s a joke.” “Relax.”
Spotlight PA reached out to Mike King numerous times. Before publication, a certified letter outlining this story’s findings and including questions for King was sent to his home. A copy of the letter was also hand-delivered to the address and attached to the front door. Additionally, a reporter called King's phone several times, left voice messages, and sent him multiple texts. King did not respond to or acknowledge any of the outreach.
Despite multiple complaints over the years, King remained, and allegations about his behavior continued.
Gabrielson said she loved King and believed he loved her. And she thought that he would leave his wife for her.
The age of consent for sexual contact in Pennsylvania is 16, and Gabrielson was 17 when it all started. But years later, she said she came to see the situation for what it was — an adult with a teenager.
More allegations
Heather Smee said she started volunteering as a makeup artist in 2012 at age 26 and left at the end of 2015.
Smee said the first time King inappropriately touched her, she was standing outside the makeup shed. He touched her butt so casually in passing that she said she remembered wondering if it happened on purpose or by accident.
That is until the unwanted touching continued, she said.
Smee repeatedly told him not to touch her, she said, but King persisted. One night, she said, while alone in the makeup room, he grabbed her breasts and tried to kiss her neck.
She pushed him away.
On a different night, King drove her on an ATV to check on props, costumes, and makeup at different locations at the attraction, she said. Smee told Spotlight PA that while the two checked out a guillotine set, King dropped a prop head between her legs. Then, Smee said, he touched her below the waist while reaching for the prop. Furious, Smee told him to back off.
Smee said King got upset and walked back to the vehicle. With Smee sitting in the back, King hit the throttle. But the ATV bucked up, throwing her off, she said.
Her head hit the ground “with full force” and triggered a seizure. Smee, who has epilepsy, was taken to the hospital and still has a scar on her hand from the incident.
When she returned to Field of Screams, she said she told Jim Schopf about the unwanted touching. He told her since she wasn’t a minor, it wasn’t a big deal, she said, but Jim Schopf added that he would talk to King about it. She’s unsure if he ever did.
Smee said she witnessed King make inappropriate and unwanted sexual comments, and grope other female volunteers without their consent.
In addition to Gabrielson and Smee, five other volunteers said they saw such behavior from King.
“I don't think they realized it was wrong,” said Smee, when asked how the young volunteers would respond. “I mean, at first, they were like, ‘What the hell’ kind of look on their face, but then nobody raised any eyebrows. So they were like, ‘OK,’ and they just moved on.”
Years of silence
Several years ago, Cecily Feliz, then 16, could tell something was wrong with her friend just by looking at her. She looked terrified, Feliz said, like she was holding in a big secret. After prompting from Feliz, her friend, who was 17 at the time, told her she was having sex with an adult volunteer from Field of Screams and sending him nude photos.
Feliz’s friend, who the newsroom is not naming because she fears her family’s reaction to the allegations, told Spotlight PA in interviews that she felt coerced into her sexual interaction with the volunteer. She had asked to go home the first time he picked her up outside of work, because she didn’t want to have sex. But he pressured her, and she gave in.
The teen continued her sexual relationship with him. And she said she sent him nude photos.
As an adult looking back, she said it was a confusing time for her. He was her first sexual partner, and as a teenager, she had a fear of abandonment. So any time she tried to pull away, he’d threaten to leave, throwing her emotions into turmoil.
She felt trapped.
After she told Feliz, the friend didn’t want to tell anyone else. But Feliz felt like she had to do something. So she turned to her manager, Mike King, for help. Her plea was initially met with silence.
Months after she messaged him, King pulled her aside, Feliz said, seemingly angry with her.
She remembers the torrent of questions and demands.
She didn’t want to ruin an innocent man’s life, did she?
She was creating drama and it needed to stop.
Shaking, Feliz told King she was just trying to protect her friend.
She remembers King dismissively telling her that her friend needed to tell him herself.
But Feliz wouldn’t let it go, so she turned to one of the owners.
The following spring, Feliz emailed Jim Schopf. After no response, she followed up two days later, and Schopf replied that he would look into the situation. The email, shared with Spotlight PA, detailed the adult volunteer’s relationship with her friend, and other sexual situations involving him that Feliz had heard about.
Describing a different alleged victim, Feliz wrote in the email that the adult volunteer, “had attempted to do this with a girl that was 15 years old.” She provided further details in the email. “He asked her to ‘come into the woods and have sex with him’ and got angry when she refused to, he also sent this girl sexual photos of himself.”
The adult volunteer did not return to Field of Screams the next season, Feliz said. She remembers being told he decided to leave because people were talking about the allegations.
But Schopf didn’t reply to her emails again.
As a teenager, Feliz hoped someone would report the allegations to police. And as an adult, she feels there is no reason that a trusted adult who was aware of what had happened would not have reported it to authorities.
In these types of situations, it’s important that people who report harassment, abuse, or assault feel heard, said Danielle Harvey, a counselor and medical supervisor for the YWCA Lancaster Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Center.
“I think it's important for us to recognize for anybody, whether they're a minor or an adult, how damaging it is for an individual who has experienced abuse or who has experienced mistreatment to come forward and talk about it and report it to somebody and then feel like nothing is done about it,” Harvey said.
A 2023 Field of Screams Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination obtained by Spotlight PA lists several prohibited behaviors, including threats or intimidating acts, and sexual harassment including unwelcome sexual advances and sexual jokes, offensive pictures, articles, or cartoons.
The policy lists multiple people as options for reporting, including Jim and Gene Schopf. If someone is unsatisfied with the way a complaint is handled, they can contact one of the others, the policy says.
The policy also says there will be a “prompt and thorough investigation” and that “any individual affiliated with Field of Screams who is found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to removal from our facilities and prohibited from reentry.”
Speaking out
In early 2020, frustrated volunteers began posting on Facebook about Field of Screams.
The posts alleged a range of issues, including volunteers being yelled at by owners, long hours without breaks, and adult volunteers making sexual advances toward young ones.
The allegations caught the attention of the Lancaster County Office of the District Attorney. The office released a statement saying law enforcement officials were aware of the social media posts and that they would take appropriate action based on reports they received. The statement also called for anyone with information to contact local police departments.
The attention prompted the Schopfs to invite some volunteers to a meeting.
“Want to have a positive approach to addressing peoples' issues and concerns and work to make Field of Screams the fun environment that it once was for all those who are posting,” read a text message sent to a select group of volunteers from owner Jim Schopf that was shared with Spotlight PA. “I really hope people show up and don’t just hide behind their online posts.”
Gabrielson wasn’t invited by the Schopfs, she said, but found out through friends about the Feb. 10, 2020, meeting and went to share her story. It started with people discussing overwork and the use and treatment of volunteers at Field of Screams. But then Gabrielson said she spoke up.
She told the owners and assembled volunteers about her relationship with King and having sex with him on the property. She told everyone how she believed King took advantage of his position and power at Field of Screams.
Her story shifted the focus of the meeting to King’s behavior, another volunteer who spoke with Spotlight PA said. Other volunteers shared their own experiences of King’s behavior.
Months after the staff meeting, Feliz returned to work at Field of Screams. She had friends telling her that Field of Screams had changed and wasn’t like before.
However, after she came back, Jim Schopf pulled her aside to talk about the email she sent in 2018. Throughout the short interaction, Feliz felt uncomfortable, like Schopf just wanted the situation to go away. She realized that nothing had changed and decided that would be her last night as a Field of Screams volunteer.
Gabrielson said she never heard from the Schopfs after the meeting. She found out from other volunteers that King was not returning in 2020, she said.
She thought the matter was resolved.
A shocking return
Despite the allegations going public, volunteers said they were frustrated by inaction, and law enforcement officials not proactively investigating the claims.
Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for the county district attorney, said the office wasn’t involved in the 2020 investigation beyond the online statement and referred Spotlight PA to local police. When asked why the office did not get involved, or whether there were any ongoing investigations, Yabor said the department doesn’t discuss investigations and reiterated that anyone with information about a crime should report it to the police.
But law enforcement officials do not need to wait for individuals to come to them, said Richard Settgast, an associate clinical professor of law at Penn State Law. Officials can and do initiate investigations based on online activity.
“As a district attorney, you're the chief law enforcement officer for your county so you can direct, even if you don't have investigators working directly for the DA’s office, you can involve the local police, tell them to get in touch with these people online to start an investigation,” Settgast said.
When first asked about the allegations at Field of Screams, West Hempfield Police Chief Jason Jay said the department did not contact the people who had posted online in 2020, or those who had posted new complaints last year, because the posts were anonymous.
While there were a number of anonymous posts in both years, there were also a number of posts with names attached to them. Some people commenting on the posts also had their names publicly displayed.
Jay said the department documented the posts and investigated when individuals filed reports, but the number of reports was lower than the number who posted anonymously. He said he could not discuss how many reports were filed or if there were any open cases.
“We conduct investigations based on reports of crime,” Jay wrote in a statement to Spotlight PA.
He added, “We conducted multiple investigations earlier this year [2024], which were forwarded to the District Attorney’s office for review and potential prosecution.”
In a response to questions from Spotlight PA, Jay wrote that some investigations were not forwarded to the district attorney’s office because officers could not maintain contact with some of the people filing complaints.
Yabor provided the following response to newsroom questions:
“Ultimately, we received a handful of investigations to review for potential prosecution. No charges have been filed at this time. These cases are reviewed by our highly trained prosecutors in our Special Victims Unit. Sometimes additional investigation is required, but generally speaking, many considerations go into deciding whether charges can or should be filed including statute of limitations and evidentiary considerations.”
Gabrielson said volunteers told her things had improved at Field of Screams after the meeting and King’s departure. So in March 2024, while scrolling online, she was shocked to see a group photo of people traveling with Field of Screams to a convention. And in the photo, there he was.
King had returned.