Somerville officials express outrage at child pornography arrest
SOMERVILLE — City officials here said today they were outraged by child pornography allegations against a former city teacher, and will provide trauma counseling for students and parents.
“Allegations like this strike fear and doubt into your hearts’’ said Mayor Joseph Curtatone. “We have so many questions. We want to know our children are safe.’’
Officials provided little information about the investigation, but urged parents to contact authorities if they are seeking any information about Josh Wairi, 27, of Somerville, who began by teaching in Somerville before becoming a fifth-grade teacher in Cambridge.
Wairi was charged Thursday in federal court with transportation of child pornography. Concerns about him have been heightened further by the fact that he also allegedly told investigators that he had filmed children changing their clothes in a locker room. It is not clear where that locker room was.
It was not clear whether Wairi had allegedly done anything wrong in Somerville, Police Chief Charles Femino said.
“We have limited information at this time,’’ he said.
School Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi echoed, “We don’t have concrete information about where this happened.’’
Wairi is a lifelong Somerville resident who graduated from Somerville High School. He taught in the Somerville schools as a substitute and student teacher for several years, then became a full-time teacher from 2009 to 2012 before leaving to teach in Cambridge.
The superintendent said “there were absolutely no reasons to indicate there was a concern’’ when Wairi was hired. He declined to discuss Wairi’s work performance but said he would have rarely been alone with children.
“The news is shocking and hard to believe,’’ said Pierantozzi. School officials will investigate “in all manners appropriate,’’ he said.
“We all feel justifiably angry,’’ he said, calling the allegations “beyond comprehension.’’
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