LAWRENCE (MA)
Boston Herald
By Associated Press
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 - Updated: 03:45 PM EST
LAWRENCE, Mass. - A priest was fired from his post as the volunteer chaplain at a Catholic high school and resigned from his parish after he was accused of sending inappropriate electronic messages to students.
A spokesman for Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said the office is also investigating the allegations against the Rev. Michael Randone, 36, who was pastor of Haverhill's Sacred Hearts Parish.
One instant message sent under Randone's screen name contained what Lawrence Central Catholic High school officials called ``highly inappropriate'' sexual content, The Eagle-Tribune newspaper reported. A family member of the recipient of that message notified the school, triggering the investigation that resulted in Randone's firing last week.
But Randone denied sending that message and told school officials someone must have accessed his account and sent the message using his online name, ``padreraider,'' which refers to the school's nickname, the Raiders.