Crime

Needham High School band director facing child porn charge

Spencer Parrish was placed on administrative leave and had his access revoked to school buildings, grounds, and digital files.

April 7, 2025

1 minute to read

A band director at Needham High School has been charged with possession of child pornography, the district’s superintendent said Friday.

Spencer Parrish, employed at the high school since 2021, was placed on administrative leave and had his access revoked to school buildings, grounds, and digital files, according to an April 4 letter from Superintendent Dan Gutekanst to families.

“The safety and wellbeing of our students is the district’s top priority, and we will cooperate with all law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues,” he wrote.

Gutekanst said that the school had not received indication from law enforcement that any Needham Public Schools students were harmed by Parrish.

The news comes less than a month after a teacher at Needham’s High Rock Middle School, Michael Ciccolella of Ashland, was arrested on similar charges.

“We are committed to being transparent with families and staff, even if the news is unsettling,” Gutekanst wrote in the letter. “We will continue to ensure our policies, practices, and procedures related to student wellbeing.”