An art teacher at a middle school in Westfield, New Jersey, is facing drug-related charges, among other offenses, after allegedly overdosing on opioids in front of students, according to authorities.
Fortunato Riga, an on-site school resource officer, was notified about the incident by a school administrator, who urgently requested the officer’s assistance.
Upon arrival, Riga observed that Thompson was being actively treated by a school nurse. He noticed that the teacher showed signs of an opioid overdose and gave him naloxone hydrochloride—or “Narcan”—a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids.
Police said Thompson quickly showed signs of improvement after the injection.
The department also noted that officials administered Narcan to more than a dozen suspected drug overdose victims in 2022. Every police officer in Westfield is equipped with Narcan.
“In this case, the swift actions of Officer Riga ... proved instrumental in maintaining the safety of the students and administering potentially life-saving measures to Mr. Thompson,” Battiloro said.
Police said they found “a quantity of a suspected controlled dangerous substance and various items of drug paraphernalia” inside a locker in the classroom.
On Jan. 5, authorities charged Thompson with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (fentanyl), possession of drug paraphernalia, and endangering the welfare of children.
Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Raymond González said school administrators are grateful for the district’s “strong partnership” with local police.
“While the Westfield Public School District cannot comment on personnel matters which are confidential, we will maintain a continued focus on student and staff safety and on preserving the integrity of the classroom learning environment,” González said.
Thompson is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 1.
Classes were temporarily moved to a different location.
