A Massachusetts middle school principal who once held the distinction of being named "Principal of the Year" has suffered an unfortunate reversal of fate after she was arrested and charged with drunken driving on Sunday.
Debra Gately, principal of Dedham Middle School in Dedham, Mass., was placed on administrative leave after her arrest, according to Superintendent Michael Welch, who said that he was made aware of alleged drunken driving on April 3.
"Based on the seriousness of the charges, I determined the best course of action was to immediately place Ms. Gately on leave so she has the time to focus on her situation and we can conduct a thorough investigation while minimizing the disruption this situation is causing in our community," Welch wrote in a press release.
"We ask that the media respect the privacy of our students, our staff and our community during this difficult time," the release concluded.
Prior to the arrest, her time in the educational system was quite inspirational. She had worked as a teacher and educator in her hometown of Waltham for 16 years before becoming the principal of the middle school in 2009. Her career reached its high point in 2015 when she was awarded Principal of the Year by the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators Association for "her effort in bringing in grants to improve education within the school and for he communication skills in regard to feeling “the pulse†of the school."
However, her record may have been tarnished permanently thanks to the alleged DUI.
The incident reportedly occurred as she was driving in Weston last weekend. Details about the arrest and subsequent DUI charge have not been released, but a guess would indicate that she had been driving somewhat erratically or at least in a manner that would warrant police to take notice. In any case, she was pulled over, and that was when authorities determined that she had been driving under the influence.
Parents say that the school did not send home a notice and were shocked by the news, saying that Gately has been a great school leader - as evidenced by her receiving the Principal of the Year award.
She was arraigned in court on Monday and was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty. She is due back in court next week.
