SAUGUS — As rumors continue to swirl about the reason for Saugus High School Principal Joseph Diorio’s absence, some students are taking matters into their own hands to get answers.
Senior Joseph Aversa made hundreds of “missing” fliers with a photo of Diorio and a list of his vital statistics. On the bottom of the flier it reads: “If found, please inform him that he has exceeded his five unexcused absenses (sic) and will need to file an attendance appeal.”
Aversa said he and his friends posted the fliers around the school and around Saugus to bring more attention to the situation because “everyone wants to know what the heck is going on.”
“The information has been out that something has been going on,” said Aversa, 17. “We wanted to do it to really make a point to the school that the school has to address it. They’re not addressing it to anybody. Every week we get a phone call home telling us what’s going on in the school ”¦ but they won’t call and say anything about the principal that’s been missing for three weeks now.”
Superintendent Richard Langlois could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but on Monday Langlois said in an email that a statement would be coming “midweek.”
Update: Saugus schools chief confirms prinicpal on leave
In a Dec. 28 letter from Town Manager Scott Crabtree, he informs Langlois that accounting firm Powers & Sullivan will be auditing the school department’s student activity accounts, including those at the high school.
With Diorio absent from school since before Christmas break, Aversa said there’s “really no principal,” even though School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said Assistant Principal Jason Merrill has taken over in the interim.
“Things are different”¦ the strictness isn’t there because people are thinking they can get away with everything,” he said. “The school is not being run as it should be. If you’re going to be a principal for 10 years and be my principal from freshman year, sophomore year, junior year and senior year, and just leave halfway through the year ”¦ then the school has to let us know.”
Students have also taken to Twitter and Instagram to talk about the situation as a #FindDiorio hashtag has sprung up.
“#FindDiorio sign is still outside the Stop and Shop entrance,” said one student.
“I found diorio.. LOL JK #FindDiorio,” tweeted another.
On Tuesday, sophomore Aaron Kurk, 16, was waiting with friends outside the high school and said everyone has their own theory about what is going on.
“You’re getting one thing from one person and another thing from another person,” he said. “Some people are getting in trouble. It would be nice to know what’s going on but I don’t think they know what’s going on themselves.”
Nick Lenardis, sophomore, said he thinks the school department is making things worse by not talking while fellow sophomore Justin Dedominicis said it’s “very odd” that Diorio “just disappeared.”
“The fliers are all over Saugus now,” he said. “It’s pretty funny.”
But while students continue to speculate on Diorio’s whereabouts, one student said she’s indifferent to the situation.
“It doesn’t particularly do anything,” said senior Monique Todd. “I’m not deep enough into school politics to actually know what he does ”¦ He might have benefited the art program or something in thus case I’d be sad. Rumors are pointless. They just prove your insecurity.”
Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].
