Westfield Board of Education approves retirement of drug-addled teacher

The Westfield Board of Education approved Frank Thompson’s retirement, effective from July 1, 2023, during its Tuesday night meeting.

Thompson was an art teacher at Roosevelt Intermediate School who was found unconscious and unresponsive on the classroom floor due to an apparent drug overdose by students on November 29, 2022.

Thompson is facing criminal charges of endangering the welfare of children, possession of fentanyl, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The BOE also approved the retirements of four other staff members at the same meeting, and Superintendent Raymond González thanked them for their services without mentioning Thompson.

After observing signs indicative of a drug overdose, the school resource officer administered Narcan, which led to Thompson’s marked improvement.

An investigation of the incident revealed a quantity of a suspected controlled dangerous substance and various items of drug paraphernalia in the classroom’s closet.

The teacher, who had served in the town’s public school for 29 years, earned an annual salary of $101,965.

The superintendent stated that the schools would be reviewing their policies, staff training, and other areas of the school culture to prevent any repeat incidents in the future.