Philip Chism expected to change plea in DYS worker assault case

The man accused of assaulting a Department of Youth Services worker in 2014 is expected to change his plea.

Philip Chism, 25, is accused of assaulting the worker while awaiting trial for the rape and murder of his Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer. Chism was 14 years old at the time.

According to The Boston Globe, Chism “took steps to elude staff assigned to observe him, walked out of a “downtime’' room, followed a female counselor into a locker room/bathroom area” before attacking her with a pencil.

The Danvers native was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2016 for Ritzer’s death.

A charity, The Colleen Ritzer Memorial Fund, was founded. The fund awards more than $370,000 dollars in grants and scholarships to future teachers like 2015 recipient Katie Rex, a special education teacher at the Spofford Pond School in Boxford. Rex didn’t realize the scholarship funds would continue after her first year at UNH.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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