JOINT STATEMENT ON ROMANOS ARREST

JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE SOMERVILLE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS AND THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE

For additional questions and information regarding this matter, click here.

This morning, a 5th grade teacher at the East Somerville Community
School was arrested by Somerville Police and arraigned at Somerville
District Court on statutory rape and additional charges stemming from an
alleged inappropriate relationship with a middle-school-aged child. The
teacher, Alexandra Romanos, age 41, has taught in the District for
seven years. The case is being prosecuted by the Middlesex District
Attorney’s Office.

Nothing we can say will soften the impact that such news has on a
community, particularly one as dedicated to nurturing and supporting our
youth as Somerville. We are repulsed and angry that someone who made an
oath to uphold the highest moral standards in the execution of her
responsibilities as a teacher and a role model has allegedly blatantly
violated that trust.


We recognize that there are many questions and concerns. We share those
concerns and have many of the same questions. However, as this is an
ongoing criminal investigation that involves confidential student
information, there is little information that we are able to disclose.


What we can do is assure you that the safety and well-being of our
students is always our highest priority, and upon learning of these
shocking and very serious allegations, we took swift and immediate
action. The Somerville Police was alerted within minutes and the
Massachusetts Department of Children and Families was notified by both
the Somerville Police and Somerville Public Schools, an investigation
was launched at once, and Ms. Romanos was also immediately placed on
administrative leave and barred from all school properties and
functions. The district is fully cooperating with the ongoing
investigation by law enforcement, and we will continue to keep parents
and the community informed as more information becomes available.


Parents and guardians with questions for school administrators or who
are seeking support services are encouraged to contact Director of
Student Services Rich Melillo at 617-625-6600 ext. 6028 or
rmelillo@k12.somerville.ma.us or School Information Officer Susana
Hernandez-Morgan at 617-629-5221 smorgan@k12.somerville.ma.us. We
encourage anyone with information that they feel is relevant to the
investigation to contact Sgt. Rich Lavey of the Somerville Police
Department at 617-625-1600 ext. 7237.
As representatives of the City of Somerville and the Somerville Public
Schools, we have also directed that the following measures be put in
place:

• 
  The Somerville Office of Constituent Services’ 24-hour hotline is
  open for parents, guardians, teachers, and others concerned who have
  questions about this situation. The number is 311 from landlines inside
  Somerville or 617-666-3311 from cell phones or from outside of
  Somerville.
• 
  Somerville public schools will activate the Somerville Trauma
  Response Network and the Riverside Trauma Center to provide counseling
  and other resources for students, teachers, City staff, parents and
  guardians, for as long as it is needed. These counselors will also be
  available to talk to parents and guardians about how to approach this
  subject with their children.
• 
  Our Parent Information Centers have interpreters on hand to assist
  families who speak Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
• 
  A message has been sent to all school faculty and staff, as well as
  parents and guardians, to inform them of the situation and that
  resources are available to them.
• 
  Somerville Police detectives are assisting our State partners in
  the investigation and are available to any parents who have specific
  concerns.

These resources will be available for as long as they are needed.
We are committed to keeping you informed as the investigation progresses.

--Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Superintendent of Schools Tony Pierantozzi