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Uxbridge schools superintendent on leave after being charged with drinking and driving
Michael Baldassarre pleaded not guilty to charges including operating under the influence of liquor and speeding. An interim superintendent was named Tuesday.
The superintendent of Uxbridge Public Schools appeared in court Tuesday after he was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated over the weekend, according to court records.
Michael Baldassarre, of Concord, is charged with two misdemeanors and two civil motor vehicle infractions, including operating under the influence of liquor and speeding, in Clinton District Court. He pleaded not guilty on all charges, the docket said.
The Uxbridge School Committee entered executive session to discuss an employee for nearly 45 minutes during their meeting Tuesday evening before selecting Karen Dwyer to serve as the interim superintendent. Baldassarre was placed on paid administrative leave, School Committee Chair Benjamin Casper confirmed.
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“We can hold two emotions at the same time, that someone that we have worked with for a number of years is hurting right now, and it’s not something that we wanted and care for this person, and we need to move on with the hard work in the district,” Dwyer said Tuesday. “I’m happy to suit up and continue that steady stream, that consistency for the district, because this is a terrific town with an amazing leadership team.”
According to court documents, Massachusetts State Police troopers pulled Baldassarre over early Saturday morning around 2:40 a.m. on I-495 in Bolton. He was allegedly travelling 100 mph in a 65 mph zone and almost crashed into a nearby vehicle, a trooper wrote in charging documents.
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The trooper wrote that Baldassarre’s eyes were “red, glassy, and bloodshot. His speech was slurred and had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath as he was speaking.” He admitted to drinking wine three hours before, according to the court docs.
Baldassarre, 51, refused to do multiple field sobriety tests, including a breath test, before he was arrested, the trooper wrote. While he was in the cruiser, it smelled of alcohol, the charging document said, and Baldassarre was uncooperative, refusing to answer whether he understood his rights or that he was refusing breath tests.
According to documents, troopers found a receipt from a Worcester cigar bar from 11 p.m. that included the purchase of multiple alcoholic beverages and a cigar.
Baldassarre was released on his personal recognizance, according to the court docket, and he is due back in court in March. Baldassarre did not return a request for comment Tuesday evening.
This article was updated to include that Baldassarre is on paid administrative leave.
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