Education

Stoneham teacher put on leave after allegations of misconduct surface

This isn't the first time the teacher has been investigated for misconduct.

Stoneham Middle School Stoneham Public Schools

By Susannah Sudborough

1 minute to read

A Stoneham Middle School teacher has been put on leave following the discovery of “serious allegations of misconduct” that occurred in a different district, Superintendent David Ljungberg said in a statement Monday.

Ljungberg said the teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a third-party investigation into the allegations.

In 2017, the school district and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) investigated the teacher for misconduct after learning about an incident involving the teacher in Florida in 1992. “It is my understanding that at that time, the District was unable to confirm the past allegations,” Ljungberg said.

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The teacher in question still holds a valid teaching license with DESE, and underwent the district’s normal screening procedures when joining the faculty, including fingerprint-based national criminal background checks, according to Ljungberg.

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These checks did not turn up any concerning information about the teacher, Ljungberg said. “However, we take all allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior very seriously, and this information warrants a reopening of the 2017 investigation,” he wrote.

Ljungberg said he has alerted DESE of the new allegations.

“We understand that this information is concerning,” he wrote. We will keep our community informed as we complete a full and thorough investigation to better understand the circumstances surrounding this situation, determine if any misconduct occurred in our schools, and take action in accordance with our policies and procedures.”

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