STONEHAM — Superintendent David Ljungberg wishes to provide the following statement regarding a personnel matter that came to the district’s attention yesterday.
“Yesterday, I became aware of serious allegations of misconduct that occurred in another district against a member of our Middle School faculty. Upon learning this information, I immediately placed this individual on paid administrative leave, pending the results of a third-party investigation into possible misconduct.
“In 2017, the District conducted an internal investigation, alongside the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), after information was shared about possible misconduct involving the teacher dating back to 1992 in Florida. It is my understanding that at that time, the District was unable to confirm the past allegations.
“This teacher does hold a current teaching license from DESE. It is important to know that upon joining the Stoneham School District, this individual did undergo the District’s customary screening procedures, including fingerprint-based national criminal background checks. These checks did not indicate a cause for concern.
“However, we take all allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior very seriously, and this information warrants a reopening of the 2017 investigation. I have also alerted DESE of these allegations. The reopening of this investigation is the result of new information we obtained yesterday.
“We understand that this information is concerning. 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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