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Bradford County Teacher Accused of Tampering with Evidence in Death Investigation

SHESHEQUIN TOWNSHIP — Charges were filed Thursday against a teacher from Bradford County accused of tampering with evidence in a death investigation. Auth...
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SHESHEQUIN TOWNSHIP -- Charges were filed Thursday against a teacher from Bradford County accused of tampering with evidence in a death investigation.

Authorities say the charges have to do with the overdose death of her boyfriend last month in Sheshequin Township.

According to court papers, Nicole Gordon, 35, of Towanda tampered with evidence, had drug items on her, and put a child in danger.

State police say last month, Gordon and her young daughter were at a home near Towanda.
During that time, troopers say Gordon and her boyfriend Wade Sparbanie used heroin.
Sparbanie died from an overdose and police say Gordon lied to them about doing drugs too and hid evidence including syringes and pills before troopers arrived.

"Just heard it on social media. Just makes you nervous about your kids going to that school and wonder what other teachers are doing what while they're around your kids all day,” said a mother with a child in the Canton Area School District. She did not want to be identified.

“It is a drug-free zone and somebody doing those kinds of drugs obviously would get sick and need to have their fix throughout the day and it makes you nervous to wonder where they're doing it, if your kids are exposed to it."

Gordon is a teacher at Canton Area Junior/Senior High School. School officials tell Newswatch 16 she is suspended with pay during this investigation.Those who know her say Gordon's father is the school district superintendent though school officials won't comment on personnel.

Those who know her say Gordon's father is the school district superintendent though school officials won't comment on personnel.

A scheduled school board meeting Thursday night was postponed as school leaders say they are considering what to do now.

Sparbanie's family did not want to comment on camera, but sent us this statement, which reads in part: "Wade was a great man and our lives will never be the same. Nicci needs to get clean and sober and if this is what has to happen to her to get help then so be it!"

People living in the rural community say heroin has indeed become a serious problem here, an epidemic.

“It's a beautiful area to live and I’d like to keep it that way and especially a teacher should be held to a higher standard and therefore whatever it takes, whatever it takes, I mean it just needs to be stopped,” said Jaap Westerbaan of Canton.

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