New Jersey teacher overdoses in front of students, police say
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(KSNF/KODE) — A New Jersey middle school teacher faces drug charges after he overdosed in front of students, police said.
According to the Westfield Police Department, students found 57-year-old Frank Thompson, an art teacher at Roosevelt Intermediate School in suburban Westfield, unconscious on the floor of a classroom shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Nov. 29.
“Thompson was discovered and observed in distress by students and was actively being treated by a school nurse,” the report stated.
An administrator alerted school resource officer Fortunata Riga, who administered the opioid antidote naloxone, the police report stated. All Westfield police officers, including resource officers, are issued and carry the opioid overdose treatment, according to the report.
Authorities later found drugs and drug paraphernalia in a classroom closet, and on Thursday, charged Thompson with endangering the welfare of children, possession of fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is due in court on Feb. 1.
District Superintendent Dr. Raymond González, in a press release issued by police, said the district would not be making further comments on “personnel matters.”
“We will maintain a continued focus on student and staff safety and on preserving the integrity of the classroom learning environment,” González said.
