Art Teacher Overdoses In Westfield Classroom, Faces Drug + Child-Endangerment Charges

WESTFIELD, NJ — A 57-year-old art teacher at Roosevelt Intermediate School has been charged with drug-related crimes and offenses, as well as endangering the welfare of children, following a November incident which occurred in his classroom, according to Chief Christopher Battiloro.

Roosevelt School's Resource Officer, Fortunato Riga, informed Westfield Police on Nov. 29 that a teacher was unconscious in a second-floor classroom. When Riga arrived, Frank Thompson — an art teacher — was unconscious and unresponsive on the classroom floor due to an apparent drug overdose, according to Battiloro.

Thompson was first discovered and observed in distress by students and was actively being treated by a school nurse when police arrived.

After Riga observed signs indicative of a drug overdose, he administered Naloxone Hydrochloride, or "Narcan," which resulted in Thompson showing marked signs of improvement, Battiloro said.

Following an investigation of this incident, police discovered a quantity of a suspected controlled dangerous substance and various items of drug paraphernalia inside a closet in the classroom, according to Battiloro.

Thompson was charged on Jan. 5 with the following, according to police:

• Possession of a controlled dangerous substance (fentanyl), a crime of the third degree;
• Possession of drug paraphernalia, a disorderly person offense;
• Endangering welfare of children, crime of the third degree.

Battiloro said Thompson has been served with a complaint-summons through his attorney and is scheduled to present himself to Central Judicial Processing on Feb. 1 at 8:30 a.m.

All Westfield Police officers, and soon School Resource Officers, are issued and equipped with Narcan.

Officers administered Narcan to suspected drug overdose victims thirteen times in 2022, according to Battiloro.

"The Westfield Police Department continues to prioritize its ongoing partnership with the Westfield Public School System to ensure it has the safety and security resources it needs on a daily basis," said Battiloro. "In this case, the swift actions of Officer Riga, who is on-site at Roosevelt Intermediate each school day, proved instrumental in maintaining the safety of the students and administering potentially life-saving measures to Mr. Thompson."

Superintendent Dr. Raymond González also provided the following comment:

"While the Westfield Public School District cannot comment on personnel matters which are confidential, we will maintain a continued focus on student and staff safety and on preserving the integrity of the classroom learning environment," González said. "We are grateful for our strong partnership with the Westfield Police Department."