SAUGUS — Melissa Martin said she thinks it’s time for the school district to release information about the status of Saugus High School Principal Joseph Diorio.
“I would rather have the right information than participate in the rumor mill,” said Martin, a parent with a son in high school and another who graduated last year. “This happened before the Christmas break, and so I was hoping when they returned that we would actually have some concrete information. It’s kind of discouraging as a parent. When my son came home yesterday I said, ‘How did the school address it?’ and he said ‘They didn’t.'”
School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said Thursday that Diorio went to Florida the week before Christmas break, but noted, “I don’t know what the status of his attendance is.”
“I don’t know when he’s coming back, and I know he hasn’t made any kind of statement or communication,” said Reed. “As far as I know he hasn’t contacted anyone ”¦”
Reed bemoaned the rumors that have been circulating in town and said the district never notifies parents when a staff member is absent.
“We’ve never sent a ConnectEd in the past when somebody was out,” said Reed of the automated recorded telephone messages the schools periodically send out. “I don’t get it. What is it they need to know besides juicy gossip? When was the last time a kid even saw him there? I had a son that went four years there and saw Joe Diorio three times ”¦ It’s all about rumors. Everyone has a hot tip now.”
School Committee members Arthur Grabowski and Joe Malone declined to comment.
“I’ve heard nothing at all,” said Malone. “I haven’t heard anything since the rumors started.”
Superintendent Richard Langlois could not be reached by phone or email. Diorio could not be reached by phone.
Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino declined to comment, while Vice Chairman Steve Castinetti said the rumors aren’t helping anybody.
“All it does is serve to stir up people ”¦” said Castinetti. “I think somebody should be putting something out to let the townsfolk know what’s going on.”
Martin called the rumors a “distraction” and said even teachers have been in on the gossip.
“We put a lot of trust in the fact that we know who is at the helm,” she said. “If (Diorio) was on vacation or sick or anything else, I’m very confident our superintendent has a handle on things. But at the same time it would be a nice courtesy to parents to say, ‘This is the situation.'”
Paul Stamatopoulos has a daughter at the high school and said the district should send out some kind of notification because “parents are in the dark.”
“I think they should come out with more, but they’re trying to tiptoe,” he said. “I think maybe a ConnectEd should go out. Maybe they should do that. Rumors are flying around town ”¦ People want to know. Maybe there should be some kind of emergency meeting to explain, some sort of flier ”¦ I think that would be great. It’s common sense.”
Martin said she’s “disappointed” in the lack of information coming from the superintendent’s office because she’s a “big fan” of Langlois and the job he’s been doing.
“I’ve been really pleased with our superintendent and the level of communication and effectiveness since he’s been with the department,’ ” she said. “I’m a big fan of him and the Town Manager and the School Board members ”¦ but it would be really nice if he just said, ‘You know what, something occurred that we’re investigating.’ Or even a blanket statement. I would love for the kids to stop talking.”
Martin also said she feels bad that Diorio is being disrespected by the rumors.
“It would be nice to have the record set straight, one way or the other,” she said.
Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].
