Barnstable School Administrator Arrested During Student Health Crisis

During a typical shift from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gerald Lopes, former Barnstable High School building manager, cleaned up spills; removes trash from the dining room; and delivered paper towels, bottled water and printing paper to classrooms.

But around 10:32 a.m. Friday, March 22, Lopes struggled to stand after he said he was tackled and handcuffed by Barnstable Police Officer Matthew Melia.

“I was arrested because of my job,” said Lopes, who was a custodian at the school for about 18 years.

According to a report from Barnstable police, the school was placed on lockdown after a student experiencing a mental health crisis climbed onto the roof of the school. When Lopes showed up behind the school after the students’ lunch break to throw trash into a dumpster, Lopes allegedly ignored Melia’s warnings to evacuate the area. According to police documents, Lopes told Melia, “You, I have a job to do.”

The police report was provided to the Times by the Barnstable County Clerk’s Office. The student’s name was not mentioned in the police report. According to a public records request submitted to the Times on May 3, Melia and school resource officer Dennis Stampfl did not use police body cameras during the incident.

Lopes’ case lasted until June 17

Lopes, 63, was arrested and charged with intimidation of a witness, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to court documents. Lopes appeared in court around 3 p.m. that day and was released. Lopes appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on April 22 and his case was continued until June 17, he said.

Principal Sara Ahearn wrote to the Times via email that the incident was a police matter. “Faculty and staff responded to an emergency situation that presented a moment of great concern for the well-being and safety of a student,” Ahearn said.

School principal Elizabeth Freedman did not respond to calls or emails from the Times.

Police Lt. Mark Mellyn told the Times that police could not discuss an ongoing investigation.

Lopes said the school did not warn staff of an emergency situation until after his arrest. The school is responsible for the safety of students and staff, Lopes said.

“I felt attacked. I feel like this whole situation was racially motivated,” said Lopes, who identifies as Cape Verdean.

According to Massachusetts school and district profiles, there are currently about 15 African American staff members; 13 Asian employees; 30 employees who identify as Hispanic; three Native Americans; and five mixed-race employees in the Barnstable Public School system in 2023-2024. There are approximately 817 employees who are white.

What actually happened behind the school?

According to Lopes, the police report is inaccurate. While he admits he told police at the time that he did not care about the student’s well-being, he said his reaction was in response to Melia’s behavior.

“I walk out there and the police officer says, ‘Bring the profanity back into the building – the building is on lockdown,'” Lopes said.

Another supervisor, who Lopes did not name, followed Lopes out of the cafeteria at the same time – also with trash. Melia also yelled and swore at the janitor and kicked his trash can, Lopes said.

According to the police report, when Melia tried to handcuff Lopes, he grabbed wooden pallets that were on the loading dock and refused to put his hands behind his back. According to the police report, Lopes was handcuffed tightly, but “not to impede freedom of movement.”

Lopes said he was lifted onto the pallets by Melia and handcuffed so tightly that the metal bracelets slashed his skin. Lopes provided the Times with photos of his wrists and arms, which showed cuts and bruises. The injuries, he said, were the result of his encounter with police.

“All that officer had to do was talk to me with some sort of respect,” Lopes said. “You don’t talk to people like that. Especially not with another city employee.”

The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the matter, according to Danielle Whitney, who manages community programs and outreach for the office.

Was the school closed?

In the police report, Melia added a note saying the entire school was on lockdown due to the issue at hand.

But Lopes maintains the school is not on lockdown. “Lunch took place during the session and children and teachers were in the dining room at the time,” he said. “No one in the building even knew what was going on.”

Ahearn told the Times in an email that Freedman issued a notice to faculty and staff to ensure no one, including adults, went behind the building.

The problem, Lopes said, was that Freedman sent the email at 11:11 a.m. after he was arrested. Lopes provided the Times with a time-stamped screenshot of Freedman’s email. In the same email, Freedman said the situation with the student was not a safety issue.

Glenn Koocher, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committee, said it is clear when a school is on lockdown.

“That means everyone stays in their classroom and no one comes out. There may be an exemption for supervisors who are needed to unlock doors and move things,” Koocher said.

Did Lopes have to retire?

According to Lopes, he was warned once in his career at the school in about 2022 for verbally abusing another employee.

After the incident, Lopes said he was not given the opportunity to go on administrative leave.

Ahearn, the principal, said via email Wednesday that she could not comment on an individual’s personnel history when asked to confirm Lopes’ statements about previous warnings he had received or his options for administrative leave.

“The school should have placed me on leave until the investigation and trial are complete,” he said. “That’s what they usually do.”

According to Koocher, dangerousness applies when determining administrative leave. If an employee has been arrested because of a domestic dispute or if there is a concern about the safety of a suspected perpetrator, the district could place that person on administrative leave, Koocher said.

“It seems like he could have easily been reinstated,” Koocher said of Lopes. “It also sounds like there’s more that needs to be clarified here.”

On March 25, the Monday after his arrest, Lopes said his daughter Ashley Lopes, who also serves as the school’s custodian, showed up at his home. His daughter told Lopes that the chief administrator, John Walsh, had tried to reach him. According to Lopes, Walsh told Ashley Lopes that the city’s human resources office required Lopes to submit his retirement papers by 3 p.m. If the pension papers were not signed, there would be a risk of termination, which would result in him losing his retirement pension and benefits, Lopes said.

“I felt pressured. I didn’t know what else to do and they didn’t give me much time to decide,” Lopes said. “I went down there and signed the papers.”

Walsh told The Times by telephone May 3 that he had no comment on Lopes’ arrest or his status at the school.

Lopes receives $1,600 a month toward his current retirement benefit, which is “not a lot” because of tax and insurance deductions, Lopes said.

Lopes also received seven weeks of paid vacation, he said, and the city still owes him 119 hours of sick time.

William Cole, human resources director for the city of Barnstable, did not respond to calls or emails from the Times.

What’s next for Lopes?

Because of the incident, Lopes now faces two and a half years in prison if found guilty, he said. Interactions “like this,” he said, between people of color and police are traumatic.

“After my arrest, another guard who had seen everything that happened left work that day. He was crying,” Lopes said. “He was unsettled and upset.”

Despite the experience, Lopes said he will miss the time he spent with students, teachers and staff throughout the school district.

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