DUXBURY - MARCH 24: Duxbury High School in Duxbury, MA, on March 24, 2021. The Town of Duxbury is in the limelight after Duxbury High School fired their football coach, Dave Maimaron after his team used anti-Semetic terms in a recent game. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

These 13 Massachusetts High School scandals rocked the state. Scandals exist at every high school in the country. From affairs, to murders, to pregnancy pacts, there have been all types of scandals to hit high schools all across the country. We want focus on the high schools here in Massachusetts as we know, there have been several here alone. We asked you to let us know what the big scandal was in your high school. The scandal your school was known for. And boy did you deliver.

In this post, we’ll dive deep into several scandals that affected Massachusetts High Schools over the years. We will mention scandals that go as far back as 1990 when a woman named Pamela Smart conspired with her underaged boyfriend at the time, Billy Flynn, to have her husband Greg murdered. That school technically is in New Hampshire: Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire to be exact. Pamela eventually would be found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder among other charges. She is currently serving a life sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, a maximum security prison in Westchester County, New York.

Then, I’m sure you’ll remember the “pregnancy pact” that took place at Gloucester High School in 2008. In this scandal, 18 girls at Gloucester High School became pregnant. While the women involved may deny that such a pact existed a movie was filmed based on the scandal. It was a Lifetime movie simply called “Pregnancy Pact” that rocked the Massachusetts community.

We’ve asked. You delivered. You have all reached out with stories of the scandals that rocked your high schools. We have taken some of the most scandalous ones and included them below. As always, feel free to message us and add some of your own. We’re always looking for new scandals. As the years go on, we’re sure there will be more.

  • Winnacunnet High School: Pamela Smart conspires to kill her husband Gregg Smart

    In this scandal that took place at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, NH, Pamela had an affair with a 15 year old student (Billy Flynn). She then convinced Billy to have her husband Gregg killed. Pamela is serving life in prison without the chance of parole. Billy Flynn was convicted of second-degree murder.

    Pamela Smart, convicted of plotting with teen lover to kill husband, has New Hampshire court petition denied

    Pamela Smart, a former high school employee convicted of plotting with her teen lover to kill her husband in 1990, had her attempt to have her life sentence reduced denied once again Wednesday - this time by New Hampshire's highest court.

  • Gloucester High School: Pregnancy Pact

    In 2008, 18 women in Gloucester High School became pregnant in what many say was a “pact” the women had with each other. A Lifetime movie was made about the story.

    Teen Baby Boom in a Mass. High School

    June 20, 2008 — -- Strollers and sippy cups will replace pencil cases and backpacks as the must-have back-to-school items for more than a dozen pregnant Gloucester High School students next year. School officials confirm at least 17 students at the Massachusetts high school are pregnant and they may have been part of what is being called a pregnancy pact.

  • Methuen High School: Teacher busted in a prostitution sting

    Joseph Harb was arrested in 2007 was arrested for solicitating a prostitute in Haverhill Ma. He plead guilty and paid a $400.00 fine. 

  • Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School, teacher cons friends and students to donate to her, falsely saying she had rare cancer

    In 2006, a special ed teacher pleaded guilty to conning her friends, family and students into donating money, convincing them she had a rare, life-threatening form of stomach cancer.  Heather Faria pleaded guilty to the crime. 

    Ex-teacher guilty in cancer scam

    NEW BEDFORD & A former special education teacher has pleaded guilty to conning friends, co-workers and students into donating thousands of dollars to her by claiming that she had a rare, life-threatening form of stomach cancer. Heather Faria, 29, admitted to the crime during her arraignment in New Bedford Superior Court yesterday morning.

  • Wareham Middle School: students arrested in LSD incident

    At least five students wound up in the hospital after LSD was sold for $5 a dose. Patrick Donovan, 19, of 176 Park Ave., Wareham, was charged with selling the LSD.  No word  how many students were involved. 

    Three arrested in LSD case

    WAREHAM -- A 19-year-old man and two middle school students were charged yesterday for selling LSD linked to the incident at the middle school last week. Patrick Donovan, 19, of 176 Park Ave., Wareham, was charged with selling the LSD to the juveniles for $5 a dose.

  • Falmouth High School: drug sting discovered by undercover police

    Four teenagers were arrested by undercover officers who arranged to purchase drugs from them.

    Falmouth sting leaves a mark

    FALMOUTH - The 23-year-old blonde posing as a high school senior sidles up to another student in the wood shop and asks to score some weed. (Photo by David Curran)The next night, after a cell phone call, Kaitlin Keane meets Falmouth High senior Chad Wiernicki outside his house on Sidewinder Road, where he's smoking a cigarette.

  • West Roxbury High School: Pot brownies in school, students hospitalized

    Six students were hospitalized for eating brownies laced with pot.

    Students hospitalized after eating possible pot brownies

    Six students from a Boston school were hospitalized after eating brownies that may have been tainted with drugs. Police and school officials confirmed that the students from West Roxbury High School ingested brownies with a possible hallucinogenic substance around 1 p.m. School officials believe the brownies contained marijuana.

  • Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical High School in Danvers: Teacher arrested for sexual assault

    Robert Vandenbulcke was arrested in his Salisbury home in 2019 and charged with 2 counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person Over 14.

    Essex Tech Teacher Arrested (Police Report) - A Message from Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School

    HATHORNE -- The following is a message from Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School Superintendent Heidi Riccio: "This afternoon, I was informed of the arrest of a teacher at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School regarding a criminal investigation being conducted by the Danvers Police Department and Essex County District Attorney's Office.

  • King Philip Regional High School, in Wrentham: Michelle Carter sends convincing text messages leading to Conrad Roy's suicide

    Conrad Roy died by suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning inside his truck. It would later be revealed that his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, sent several text messages trying to convince him to do it. 

    Michelle Carter's text message suicide trial revisited in 20/20 special 'Words to Die By'

    NEW YORK -- When Michelle Carter was hit with manslaughter charges for her role in the suicide of her boyfriend Conrad Roy, the news rocked a grieving family and consumed the nation. The investigation and Carter's role are back in the spotlight following the premiere of the Hulu limited series, "The Girl from Plainville."

  • Taunton High School: Former teacher had sex with two 14 year old students

    Patrick R. Doyle of Seekonk pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child and two counts of disseminating harmful material to a minor.

    Former Taunton High teacher Patrick Doyle pleads guilty to child rape charges

    TAUNTON - A former eighth-grade social studies teacher - who in 2012 had sex with two 14-year-old students during his tenure at Taunton High School - is looking at five to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty Tuesday morning to four of 12 criminal counts. Patrick R.

  • Beverly High School: Sexting scandal

    20 middle and high school students in Beverly faced disciplinary action after sending and receiving a sexting video made by a classmate. 

    20 students caught up in middle, high school sexting case

    School officials say they are investigating a case of sexting involving two schools in Beverly.Watch ReportThe Beverly school resource officer said an inappropriate video made by a female student for a male student last March has circulated through two schools.The video came to staff's attention when a student overheard the

  • Duxbury High School: Anti-Semitism, hazing scandal

    Athletic Director Thom Holdgate was let go back in 2017 after two separate incidents plagued Duxbury High sports. One involved the football team and anti-semitic play calls and the other involved a hazing incident with the hockey team. 

    Duxbury High athletic director is on his way out amid coaching scandals

    Local After a year of coaching scandals at Duxbury High School, Athletic Director Thom Holdgate was informed his contract will not be renewed at the end of the school year. According to reporting from The Boston Globe , Holdgate's position seemed secure until news broke in March that the football team had used terms like "rabbi," "dreidel," and "Auschwitz" to call plays in a game against Plymouth North.

  • Andover High School: Boys basketball team hazing incident

    In November 2011, the boys basketball team made national news for a sexual hazing incident that took place at a summer camp.

    Andover's "Wet Biscuit" Scandal

    In November 2011, the Andover High School Boys' Basketball team made national news for a hazing incident of a sexual nature that allegedly occurred at a private summer basketball camp, not sponsored by or affiliated with Andover High School.

  • Norton High School: Janitor arrested for allegedly taking upskirt photos of an 11 year old

    Thomas Frederick Withers was charged with accosting/annoying a person of the opposite sex, posing/exhibiting a child in a sex act after he allegedly put a cell phone under a young girl’s skirt at a festival.

    Norton High Janitor Arrested For Allegedly Taking Upskirt Photos of 11-Year Old

    A 58-year old man who has worked as a janitor at Norton High School for three decades is now facing charges after being accused of taking upskirt photos of an 11-year old girl at the Southeast Asian Water Festival in Lowell.

  • New Bedford High School: Student charged in Columbine style plot

    Amy Lee Bowman was one of four students charged in the plot to commit a Columbine style massacre in 2001.

    Student Charged in Plot She Warned About

    November 29, 2001 Pool Photo by Peter Pereiera Amy Lee Bowman in a Massachusetts court on Tuesday. BOSTON, Nov. 27 - A 17-year-old girl who the police say warned a teacher about a student plot to stage a Columbine-style rampage killing at her New Bedford high school even as she continued to participate in it was charged today with conspiracy to commit murder.

  • Stoughton High School: 2017 Student claims to have affair with teacher for several years

    The unidentified teenager claims to have had an affair with Tim Norton in 2014 when she was 16 years old. 

    Stoughton teen sues school district over relationship with teacher

    STOUGHTON, Mass. - A teenager from Stoughton is suing school administrators after a relationship with a teacher that lasted three years. The student, who isn't being identified because of what she went through, told Boston 25 News when she was questioned by Stoughton High School principal she was interrogated for 30 minutes and shamed.

  • Barnstable High School in 1994 PE teacher kills his wife

    Milton L. Rice Jr, a PE teacher at Barnstable High, beat his wife to death in 1994. 

    Murderer denied new trial

    BARNSTABLE - A first-degree murder conviction that illustrated domestic violence could touch even Cape Cod's middle class was upheld this week by the state Supreme Judicial Court. Milton L. Rice Jr., 53, was denied his request for a new trial.

  • Canton High School in 1986, Rod Matthews convicted of killing classmate with baseball bat

    Rod Matthews is serving a life sentence on a second-degree murder charge from 1988 for killing Shaun Ouillette with a baseball bat when they were both 14-years-old.

    Parole denied for teen killer in 1986 Canton slaying of 14-year-old boy

    A 49-year-old man who was convicted of killing a Canton classmate when he was 14 was denied parole Thursday after a board said he did not demonstrate "genuine empathy" at a hearing last summer. Rod Matthews in June asked to be released from prison after spending decades behind bars for killing 14-year-old classmate Shaun Ouillette in 1986.

  • Norfolk Country Agricultural High School in Walpole, 2014 teacher arrested for indecent exposure

    Marc Mertz was arrested in 2014 for wearing only ski cap, goggles and a towel in his driveway. 

    Walpole PD: Goggle and hat clad teacher exposed himself to women

    A Norfolk Country Agricultural High School teacher was arrested Wednesday for allegedly spending his day off from school walking around his driveway wearing nothing but a ski cap and goggles, according to Walpole police. Police received calls from women passing-by Marc Mertz' 465 North St.

  • Arlington Catholic High School, ex principal sued for alleged sex abuse

    A civil suit has been filed against Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, leader of the Archdiocese of Boston by three students who say they were abused by  Stephen Biagioni, former Vice Principal. 

    3 people sue cardinal, bishops, over alleged sex abuse by Arlington Catholic High ex-principal

    The lawsuit alleges Steven Biagioni sexually abused the then-teenage plaintiffs between the years 2011 and 2016, according to a release from their attorney, Mitchell Garabedian. The suit was filed against Cardinal Seán O'Malley, leader of the Archdiocese of Boston, and two other local bishops.

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