Haverhill school committee member arrested, accused of groping teen outside 7-Eleven
HAVERHILL - A member of the school committee in Haverhill, Massachusetts was arrested and appeared in court Wednesday after allegedly assaulting a teenager.
Cheryl Ferguson was arraigned in Haverhill District Court on charges of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over.
Allegedly groped minor twice
According to the police report, the alleged victim said he was standing outside the 7-Eleven on Dudley Street Tuesday night wearing a Halloween mask when Ferguson approached him and groped him from behind. She then allegedly went into the store and when she left, she approached him again and groped his chest. The boy told police he asked Ferguson to walk away and he said she called him a creep.
Police said the boy went home and told his mother what happened and she recognized Ferguson from the neighborhood.
When police responded to Ferguson's home, she allegedly told police she played Keno at 7-Eleven and when she left she poked the victim in the chest and said, "You're scary." She was then placed under arrest.
"I would hope it doesn't reflect on the school committee as a whole," said Paul Magliocchetti, the school committee's vice chairman. "My heart goes out to Cheryl and her family but at the same time, we have to do what's best for the families and the students in our schools," said Magliocchetti.
Ferguson was released on personal recognizance Wednesday and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim, as well as anyone under 18. The judge also ordered her to wear a GPS device and imposed a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. She's due back in court in December. When WBZ-TV asked her for comment outside court, Ferguson called the incident a "misunderstanding" and didn't elaborate.
"That's very concerning, especially an elected official doing that to a minor," said neighbor Martin Rojas.
Member of school committee
Magliocchetti said Ferguson was just elected to the school committee in 2022. She's been serving since 2023.
"It involves a situation with a minor, we do have to be concerned with her presence around minors and that's something that I'm sure we will address with legal counsel," Magliocchetti said.
He said he's unsure of the laws and regulations surrounding her potential removal from the committee.
"We were informed today that charges were filed by the Haverhill Police Department against a school committee member. In an abundance of caution, we have decided to restrict the member's access to school premises and are taking other precautionary members until further notice. The safety of our students is our first concern. As this is a criminal matter, we will have no comment on the substance of the allegations," said Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett and School Superintendent Margaret Marotta in a joint statement.
Ferguson has previously been charged in domestic violence incidents, drunk driving and driving with a suspended license and unregistered vehicle.
