Haverhill School Committee Member Arrested, Accused of Groping Teen Outside 7-Eleven

A member of the Haverhill School Committee was arrested earlier this week after she allegedly groped a teenage boy outside a local supermarket, according to court documents.

Cheryl Ferguson, who was arraigned in Haverhill Supreme Court on Wednesday, faces one count of assault and battery on a person 14 years of age or older. Ferguson, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was released on personal recognizance with a 9 to 5 curfew and orders to stay away from the victim and other minors under the age of 18.

According to a police report, Ferguson allegedly approached the victim on Tuesday around 7:45 p.m. while he was waiting outside the 7-Eleven on Dudley Street wearing a Halloween mask. She groped his buttocks as she entered the store, the report said, and approached the boy again as he left, grabbing his chest.

“Oh, you have nipples,” she said, according to the report.

The teen told Ferguson to walk away, to which she reportedly responded by calling him a “creep.”

The teen went home and told his mother about the interaction, who recognized Ferguson from her son’s description and alerted police, the report said. Officers arrested Ferguson at her home on Dudley Street.

Ferguson, who acknowledged playing Keno at the store, told police she poked the teen in the chest and told him he was “scary.” She denied further physical interaction, according to the report.

Haverhill Public Schools did not immediately return a request for comment from the Globe. In a joint statement obtained by WBZ-TV On Wednesday, Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett and School Superintendent Margaret Marotta acknowledged the charges against “a member of the School Committee.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to limit member access to school buildings and are taking other precautions until further notice,” the statement said. “The safety of our students is our primary concern. Because this is a criminal case, we do not wish to comment on the content of the allegations.”

A public defender appointed for Ferguson also did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

Ferguson, who was elected to the school board last year, was previously charged with assault and battery in 2019 after punching her adult stepdaughter in the face, court records show. She pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to probation and community service.

Ferguson was also found guilty of driving a vehicle while intoxicated, losing her driver’s license for three months in 2018 and driving with a suspended license.

Camilo Fonseca can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.