Elizabeth Backler, a 28-year old high school teacher, high school swim coach, and YMCA swim coach, was arrested Tuesday evening on allegations that she gave drugs to a former student.
The charges levied against Backler include two counts of distribution of a class B substance, oxycodone, and one count of distribution of a class C substance, diazepam. She was released after arraignment on personal recognizance.
Backler is accused of giving a 16-year old female member of the high school swim team the prescription drugs to treat shoulder pain. Assistant District Attorney Heidi Mader said that “She told the victim not to tell her mother that she was giving her the pills and went on to say that she took the pills on multiple occasions, approximately two a night for two consecutive nights.”
Beckler’s attorney, Melinda Thompson, says that Beckler “maintains her innocence.”
Among her other positions include as an assistant coach for the North Andover YMCA Hurricanes (though she is no longer listed on their website) and as the head coach of the summer league team at the Haverhill Country Club. She no longer works in the North Andover High School where the alleged incident is said to have happened, but is currently teaching at the Amesbury Academy Charter Public School.
Oxycodone is a powerful prescription pain reliever used for moderate to severe acute or chronic pain, and has a high risk of dependence. Diazepam, also known by its marketed name Valium, is used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and other similar conditions and is labeled as a “moderate” addiction liability by the Clinical Addiction Psychiatry reference.
Works in my town and I swam with this team at meets crazy
Why do we smear peoples names before they have a trial and can be found innocent? Thats just f####d up.
They gave the facts in this article, which is reporting, not smearing. And they reported that she maintains she is innocent. They clearly state at this point it is an accusation and not a conviction.
I have no problems whatsoever with this article.
I don’t even give out ibuprofen; ice and stretch and ask you parents for ibuprofen, not me!
Absolutely insane if true. I mean, I’d like to think her heart was in the right place with this. Like, giving a kid painkillers for pain relief vs. just giving meth out to kids for fun or something, but intentions aren’t worth much if you aren’t qualified to give that stuff out (i.e. a doctor).
If you have to tell your swimmer not to tell his or her parents, you probably shouldn’t do it no matter how much you want to help.
You summed up my thoughts exactly! Wherever the exact truth may lie, this is so sad.