Woodbury Heights, NEW JERSEY

Middle school Vice Principal arrested for stealing students' prescription drugs.

May 9, 2008 - Philip Bevilacqua, 41, vice principal at Gateway Regional Middle School was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing students' prescription medications for his own use.

He was charged with theft, possession of a schedule II controlled dangerous substance without a prescription and official misconduct. He was released pending a grand jury hearing.

An investigation into missing medications began in late March. Bevilacqua was arrested after a six-week undercover investigation in cooperation with the school and local administrators and pharmacies that replaced the medicine. . Bevilacqua had been with the district five years. He was placed on administrative leave with pay.
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TT - A poster at the news story at South Jersey News Online claims to be a school employee thinks" it's a crying shame that his own Admin set him up rather than try and get him some help he needs." Another who claims to know the vice principal for 20 years was also critical of the administration.

"It doesn't make it right, but I also think that he was essentially set up by his administration. Why did they not confront him the first time? It makes me sick that all the years Phil dedicated to this school that instead of the administration immediately going to him about this, they set up a sting! "

However, another poster at the Courier-Post story was succinct:

Only in our public education system can a teacher get arrested for stealing prescription controlled drugs fom students and be given a paid "vacation". When people ask "what's wrong with our youth?" I say look at our teachers.

(Of course, that newspaper has a forum titled, "Are the Clintons pathological liars?")