Swampscott High counselor charged in meds theft

SWAMPSCOTT – Swampscott High School Adjustment Counselor Thomas Healey – whose job in part was to counsel students dealing with drug or alcohol problems – will face criminal charges for allegedly breaking into a co-worker’s house to steal prescription medication, police said Thursday.”We all know who he is and it’s an unfortunate situation,” said Detective Sgt. Tim Cassidy. “Hopefully, whatever is going on, he can move on.”Superintendent Lynne Celli declined to answer specific questions beyond a prepared statement.”We are aware of the alleged incident involving a member of the SHS staff,” the statement read. “This is a personnel matter and we are unable to comment on any specifics of the alleged incident at this time other than to say that the staff member involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into the allegations and has been directed to stay off school property while the investigation takes place.”As an adjustment counselor and member of the guidance department, Healey counseled students on many topics including drug and alcohol abuse.His position was also one of those named to counsel students after they violated the high school’s Chemical Health Policy. He earned $79,177 last year, according to town records.Cassidy said that the police received a call on Wednesday between 9 and 9:30 a.m. reporting a suspicious person in the backyard of a house on Humphrey Street. Officers found Healey in the backyard and Cassidy said that the suspect had already been through the house via an unsecured window. Cassidy said that Healey told officers that he had been looking for prescription medication, but he was not in possession of any stolen material, Cassidy said.Selectmen Chairman Matt Strauss said that he was “shocked and surprised” by the allegations against Healey, who he said wanted to help people in his role as a counselor and as a member of the Swampscott Drug, Alcohol and Youth Risk Behavior Task Force.”Tom, from what I know, he is a good human being, has children of his own, cares about his children a great deal and that’s why he works in the schools,” Strauss said. “It meant a lot to him to help others. If he does have a problem, which I don’t know if he does, I hope he can get help and recover.”Officers decided to issue a summons for Healey to appear in court to answer a felony charge of breaking and entering during the daytime and violation of a town bylaw for carrying a knife with a blade over 21/2 inches long.”He was not arrested – but will be charged criminally,” Cassidy said. “He was very cooperative and so we summonsed him,” noting that this is done “with a lot of people that cooperate with us.”Cassidy said that the knife was a pocketknife and that officers did not view Healey as dangerous. The police also did not believe the incident was connected with recent daytime break-ins. Nobody was home at the time of the incident.School Committee members Marianne Speranza Hartmann, who is also a nurse at the middle school, and Laurie Beaupre declined to comment on the incident and referred matters to Celli. Healey did not respond to messages left on an answering machine.