A New Jersey elementary school teacher has lost his job for allegedly snorting morphine in front of his students, according to a Tuesday report.
Michael Palladino, 43, was charged in December with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and official misconduct, according to a complaint from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Palladino was an elementary school teacher at Eagleswood Elementary in Eagleswood Township, N.J.
Prosecutors allege Palladino used a ballpoint pen to snort morphine on his classroom desk in front of his students and a faculty member. The pen, which was found with drug residue, had been kept in a desk drawer, prosecutors say.
Eagleswood Township Elementary has students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Palladino held certificates of eligibility to teach grades K-8 with advanced standing, Patch reported.
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Palladino agreed to relinquish those certificates, which the state Board of Examiners agreed to accept during a Sept. 19 meeting.
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Palladino was never arrested on the charges, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.