One of the three men arrested for allegedly dealing the fentanyl that caused 17 people to overdose last week also worked in a New Haven public school.
That’s “worked” in the past tense.
Police Monday arrested the man on federal narcotics charges. He is one of three New Haveners accused of selling cocaine customers white powder that turned out to be fentanyl, leading to last week’s 17 overdoses, three of them fatal. The man remains in federal custody.
The school system announced Wednesday that it has also placed the man on unpaid leave from his job as night custodian at Lincoln-Bassett School.
The man “has been with the district for more than 10 years,” schools spokeswoman Mercy Quaye stated in a news release. “As a night custodian, he has had very minimal contact with students.
“While [he] has the right to due process regarding his employment, student safety remains a top priority for the school district, and he has been placed on unpaid leave until additional information from the investigation becomes available. At this time, there are no indications that students have had any exposure to this incident and we will continue to ensure all students within our school walls have a safe educational environment.”
Meanwhile, the city sent out the following public-health alert Wednesday evening:
“NEW HAVEN HEALTH DEPARTMENT DRUG OVERDOSE HEALTH ALERT — In recent drug overdoses among New Haven residents, including three deaths, state laboratory testing found the presence of fentanyl, a man-made opioid that is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Even in small amounts, fentanyl is dangerous and may cause death. Fentanyl may be made to look like other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Its effects may be reversed with Narcan, an antidote. If you think someone is overdosing, please call 911 for help. For more information about Narcan or substance abuse treatment, please call the New Haven Health Department at 203 – 901-7687.”
Well you know what this means...
GIVE THAT MAN A FAT PENSION!