No comment on 2020 investigation, reader’s angry
By JOSH RESNEK
An Everett Public Schools physical education teacher deemed unfit to serve unless severely reprimanded or removed from his position by an independent team of investigators lives to teach another day.
Neither the mayor, as a member of the School Committee, nor his member colleagues expressed any concerns publicly about the findings of the investigative report, which cast a harshly negative light on Jason Abruzzese.
The mayor failed to respond to the Leader Herald for comment.
No comments were forthcoming from School Committee Chair Frank Parker.
Abruzzese, the son of School Committee vice-chair Thomas Abruzzese, was arrested by Everett police for domestic abuse against his wife in 2019.
Abruzzese’s father was School Committee Chair at the time of his arrest.
A subsequent 2020 investigation into his conduct as a teacher revealed that he had been buying anabolic steroids using his EPS computer as well as using the steroids and watching hundreds of hours of movies during the workweek on the EPS computer.
He watched 46 full-length movies while at work, bet on sporting events, and viewed pictures of fitness models by viewing women’s Facebook sites.
Abruzzese often watched movies about women subjected to physically abusive relationships, according to the investigation conducted by the law firm Clifford and Kenny LLP.
The posting of this story on the Leader Herald Facebook site attracted more than 1,000 viewers.
A torrent of comments was posted to the site subsequently.
“I doubt anything will ever be done about this,” commented Lisa Castetter.
“That’s cause the city is connected a lot to (people) who get away with something,” replied AnnMarie Mimi James.
“Disgrace,” wrote Stacey Ferullo Cotto.
“No action! WTF!” wrote Shelly Rubin.
Despite being widely read, the story generated no official action.
Said Felicia Castetter:
“Unreal. Everything is always kept hush-hush because the schools don’t want the parents to take their kids out. Everyone should protest until he is out of the schools completely. Not on paid leave. FIRED”
A group of parents who wished to remain unnamed, sent a letter to the Leader Herald claiming they are upset and concerned and are requesting that school committee members act on behalf of their children and out of respect for their safety.
“Paid leave is not acceptable to us. Action must be taken to keep him (Abruzzese) away from our children.”