WILMINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Charges against a Wilmington teacher accused of domestic assault and battery have been dropped after the victim refused to testify.
Anthony Altieri was arrested in September and charged with domestic assault on his female partner. Police said Altieri grabbed the woman by the back of the head and slammed her into a door frame, breaking her nose.
Altieri, who is a physical education teacher at Wilmington High School, was released on $1,000 bail.
In a statement, Wilmington Superintendent Mary DeLai said Altieri was placed on paid administrative leave for several days so the district could learn more about the incident and determine if his return would pose a threat to students and staff members.
“Based on the information gathered, the school district made the decision that Mr. Altieri’s return did not pose a threat to the safety of students or staff and it returned him to his teaching position at the start of this week,” said DeLai in a statement.
Altieri has been a teacher in Wilmington for 13 years. He is due back in court in mid-October.
Full statement from Wilmington Public Schools:
“Wilmington Public Schools is aware of the concerns of some individuals surrounding its decision to allow Mr. Altieri to return to his position as a physical education teacher at Wilmington High School following recent allegations of domestic assault. The school district wants the public to know that before making the decision to return Mr. Altieri to his position, it thoroughly considered all aspects of this matter before concluding that he should be returned to work.
Last week, Mr. Altieri was placed on paid administrative leave for several days in order to allow the school district to gather more information about the incident, to allow it to assess whether or not Mr. Altieri’s return to his teaching position would pose a threat to the safety of students or staff, and to allow the school district the opportunity to consult with legal counsel. Based on the information gathered, the school district made the decision that Mr. Altieri’s return did not pose a threat to the safety of students or staff and it returned him to his teaching position at the start of this week. The school district has looked at this issue from multiple perspectives, including reviewing Mr. Altieri’s record as an educator in Wilmington for the past thirteen years. Our first concern is the safety and well-being of our students, staff and families and we would not have returned Mr. Altieri to his position if we did not believe that he did not pose a threat. At this point we will defer to the legal process and will continue to monitor this matter moving forward.”
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