Stoneham Teacher Placed On Leave Pending Investigation

STONEHAM, MA — A Stoneham Central Middle School teacher was placed on paid administrative leave this week after new information emerged on what Schools Superintendent David Ljungberg described as “serious allegations of misconduct" on Monday evening.

Ljungberg said a third-party investigation is underway after information came to his attention on Sunday.

"We understand that this information is concerning,” Ljungberg said. “We will keep our community informed as we complete a full and thorough investigation to better understand the circumstances surrounding this situation.”

Ljungberg did not identify the teacher in question.

He said the district already ran an internal investigation with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2017, though, after learning of “possible misconduct” involving the teacher in Florida in the early 1990s.

“It is my understanding that at that time, the District was unable to confirm the past allegations,” Ljungberg said on Monday.

The teacher, Ljungberg said, does hold a current state teaching license. The teacher did also undergo customary district screening when he was hired, Ljungberg said, including fingerprint checks.

“These checks did not indicate a cause for concern,” Ljungberg said.

Despite the previous investigation, Ljungberg said new information this weekend warranted reopening the 2017 investigation.

He said he has been in touch with state officials following new revelations.

Ljungberg said that the pending investigation will aim to “determine if any misconduct occurred in our schools, and take action in accordance with our policies and procedures."

Correction: This article has been updated to note that the reopened investigation was prompted by new information on prior allegations against the teacher in question, not new allegations.