‘Undue stress’: Hingham School Committee apologizes to community after substitute teacher’s arrest

The Hingham School Committee apologized to the community in a letter sent out over the weekend after Boston 25′s Ted Daniel broke the news of the arrest of a substitute teacher at Hingham Middle School.

Charlotte Cody, 55, of Scituate, was called down to the school’s office and taken into custody without incident on Friday, Oct. 27.

In response to Cody’s arrest, Hingham School Committee Chair Nes Correnti wrote, “Understandably, this incident is unsettling for our entire community, particularly our middle school families and we are sorry for the undue stress this created.”

Cody was arrested on a warrant filed in the state’s warrant management system for a probation violation out of Hingham District Court.

Police documents reviewed by Boston 25 showed that she was ordered by the court to wear a GPS monitoring device, and she had failed to schedule a mental health evaluation in connection with trespassing and an attempt to commit a crime case out of Scituate.

Additional court filings revealed that Cody was arrested in early October on animal cruelty charges in Scituate after several dogs were found living in filth. Cody also has a history of mental illness and was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, documents showed.

Correnti said that the committee believes Massachusetts law was followed in hiring Cody.

“While hiring procedures are outside the School Committee’s purview, it is our understanding that district policies and Massachusetts laws were followed in this instance,” Correnti wrote. “Despite the necessary background check being completed, an arrest warrant for one of our employees was issued.”

Correnti added that a review of district policies, procedures, and protocols is necessary, and immediate action will be taken.

“Please be assured that we share your concerns and are actively addressing the need for greater transparency and accountability by implementing these immediate measures,” Correnti wrote.

An investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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