SUBSTITUTE TEACHER ON HEROIN PASSES OUT IN CLASS IN FRONT OF STUDENTS AND ARRESTED

CHRISTOPHER CHIAPPETTA

Bellevue Police Sgt. Mike Hudson says it was a first for him after he found a substitute teacher passed out in the front of a high school classroom with 11 students watching.
“Unfortunately, it was a very realistic show and tell where you can preach the message to students, but they got to see live, firsthand the effects of a drug addiction problem,” Hudson said.

Sgt. Hudson is a school resource officer for the Northgate School District and was walking the hallways when he noticed something was off.

Christopher Chiappetta, 26, who is not an employee of Northgate, was subbing for a high school art class when he took a break close to noon.

When Chiappetta got back to the classroom, he reportedly passed out in front of students.
After Sgt. Hudson got school administrators to wake Chiappetta up, the substitute initially denied being under the influence.

Police say it wasn’t until they found four baggies of heroin in Chiapetta’s pocket and marijuana in his car that the substitute confessed to using heroin around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

“When a person makes a decision to use a narcotic, and he’s actually being a substitute teacher, that’s pretty severe drug usage, and he needs a lot of help.”

Chiapetta faces several drug charges and endangering the welfare of children.

Sgt. Hudson says he plans to contact the students, and their parents to see if they feel they were victimized by Chiappetta’s actions. Then he could be facing more charges.
He’s in the Allegheny County Jail on $10,000 straight bond.