A Saugus Middle School teacher is facing charges after being found with a controlled substance in a faculty bathroom, police said. The Saugus Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a "suspicious substance" discovered at around 10:45 a.m. Thursday. Roxanne Plaskon, 52, a science teacher at the school, was arrested and charged with possession of a Class A substance. NBC10 Boston reported police did not specify the type of drug found but under Massachusetts law, Class A substances can include drugs ranging from heroin to methamphetamine.
The discovery sparked concern among parents and the community, with one parent telling NBC10 Boston, "To have this happen? What are we gonna do? We can't trust our teachers anymore?" However, another tried to balance the perspective, mentioning, "One bad apple does not discredit the rest of the teachers, the faculty, the staff here because there plenty of them doing good things." The school's officials stated that the incident did not pose any danger to staff or students.
Following her arrest, Plaskon denied the allegations, which Boston 25 reported as she exited the Saugus police station, saying, “It’s not true… it’s not true.” Superintendent Michael Hashem addressed the incident in a letter to families, noting that the safety of students and staff was always the top priority and the situation was handled in accordance with appropriate procedures and laws.
Plaskon, who has since been released on bail, is waiting for further details about her arraignment to be made available. Neighbors expressed their disbelief and concern to Boston 25, with one, Roxc Ramirez, stating, "You shouldn’t be bringing drugs into school. That’s for sure, not with children, not anybody." Saugus police maintain that no other students or staff were ever in danger during this incident.
