Superintendent sends update, says Waltham man facing child pornography charges was a Waltham substitute teacher in 1980s

By Isabella Lapriore

Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa made updates to information sent the previous week to the Waltham Public Schools community in an email on Oct. 6.

On Sept. 25, Waltham resident and former Watertown physical education teacher Stephen McDonough was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography and distributing material of a child in a sexual act. Initially, Mendonsa sent families an email stating that McDonough did not have a record of employment as an educator in the city. Some early news reports had stated that he was a former educator for WPS.

Mendonsa’s most recent communication updated families that over the weekend she was provided information that McDonough held employment as a substitute teacher for WPS in the 1980s.

McDonough worked as a substitute teacher from 1988 to 1989 according to central office records reviewed by WPS Business and Human Resources departments, Mendonsa wrote.

The initial email sent cited electronic records, she wrote, that didn’t go back that far.

McDonough worked at St. Stephens Armenian Elementary School in Watertown and was accused by a student of taking inappropriate photographs of them while employed at a different Watertown school previously, but wasn’t charged, according to court documents.

He is currently being held on $25,000 bail at Middlesex Jail in Billerica.

Anyone who has information pertaining to this case should contact the Waltham Police Department at 781-314-3600.