(NECN: Greg Wayland, Franklin, Mass.) - The first day of school is starting off with trouble in Franklin, Mass.
A teacher is on paid administrative leave, accused of misconduct.
Few details have come to light, but it involves the teacher's relationship with a student or students.
Like a pall of morning haze hanging over the welcoming high school entrance, unwelcome news has come on the first day of school in Franklin.
Some kids, like senior Katie Swenson, knew about the issue before the adults.
"I know of him. I know, like, everyone loved him in school. So I think it's really weird that that happened," said Swenson.
The school district's superintendent Maureen Sabolinski declined to appear on camera, but told NECN's Justin Michaels some of the details she felt comfortable revealing about the investigation.
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"About a week and a half ago, a staff member who is also a parent in the community approached us with some texts and tweets that were out in the community, probably for about two weeks, making allegations about a high school staff member and inappropriate relationships with some students," said Sabolinski.
The Franklin schools have contacted police, their attorneys and state child welfare officials.
2012 Franklin High School graduate John Doyle said he had the teacher in class.
"It's just really shocking," said Doyle. "I couldn't even believe it. I mean, he was always a good guy."
The school says it notified parents by email. The news surprised parent Doug Ayotte.
"To be honest with you, I heard nothing but great things about him. Just a real nice guy," said Ayotte. "Unfortunately, he got caught up in something he shouldn't have been caught up in."
Meanwhile, parents and students are flocking to school on the first day.
One parent was upset that her children, ages nine and 10, had to be exposed to this media presence and bad news.
"At the grade my children are in, I think it's being handled correctly. They really don't need to know anything about it at this point, because we really don't know what it is," said Jennifer Corey. "Should it come to full fruition, and there is some kind of really horrible thing that happened right here, then yeah, I think the kids need to be taught, not the details of what happened, but how to take care of themselves."
