A former Derby Middle School administrator accused of bringing painkillers to the school last September will have a clean record in two years if he stays out of trouble, stays out of schools and completes 112 hours of community service.
The dean, William LaRovera, 35, of Naugatuck was arrested in September after principal Sally Bonina accused him of bringing narcotics to school.
Police said they found 66 Roxicodone pills, a generic oxycodone, in two plastic bags along with a clear plastic tube that had powdery residue in it. LaRovera resigned on Nov. 3 after he reached an agreement with the Derby Board of Education.
In January LaRovera applied for two pretrial diversionary programs — accelerated rehabilitation and the community service labor program — that, if completed successfully, would see his criminal record wiped clean.
In Superior Court in Derby Monday, Judge Richard Arnold granted both applications, noting that though the the case is serious, LaRovera has paid heavily since his arrest.
“Any time that there’s drugs in a school it becomes a serious concern,” Judge Arnold said, noting that such concerns are heightened when the person bringing the drugs to school is a teacher or administrator.
The judge said such school employees have roles that involve the trust of the community, “and that’s been violated here.”
Still, the judge said, “He’s paid a heavy price,” noting that LaRovera’s career as an educator is over.
Judge Arnold also noted that “people deserve a second chance” if they show they can help themselves.
That’s exactly what LaRovera has been doing, his lawyer, Rob Serafinowicz, told Judge Arnold. Since being arrested, he said LaRovera checked himself in to an in-patient drug treatment program which he completed successfully.
Since then, Serafinowicz said, LaRovera has continued out-patient drug treatment in a “relapse prevention” program.
Earlier, Prosecutor Marjorie Sozanski said the state didn’t object to LaRovera’s participation in the special programs, emphasizing the treatment he has undergone and the fact that he’s no longer an educator.
“The state’s biggest concern was that this defendant not enter any school system or be in the education system,” she said.
Judge Arnold imposed a number of conditions on LaRovera’s participation in the programs, such as:
- He must continue substance abuse treatment.
- Weekly urine tests that must be clean of drugs.
- He cannot be employed in any school system.
- He cannot apply for a teaching certificate.
After the hearing Monday, Serafinowicz said the disposition would let LaRovera “move on with his life.”
“He did pay a price,” the lawyer said. “It’s not as if he wasn’t held accountable.”
Serafinowicz said his client’s addiction to painkillers could be traced to injuries he sustained after being robbed and pistol-whipped during a robbery in Bridgeport as a teenager.
LaRovera also hurt his shoulder while playing baseball at Ansonia High School, an injury which cost him a college scholarship, according to Serafinowicz.
The lawyer differentiated his client from those who take painkillers recreationally.
“This is a case where somebody had considerable injuries,” Serafinowicz said. “It could happen to anybody.”
Asked if his client might pursue teaching once the two-year probation period was over, Serafinowicz couldn’t say for sure.
“I don’t speculate over anything that far in advance,” he said.