A substitute teacher in Vermont has been arrested after she allegedly brought cocaine into her classroom and became so intoxicated that she confused a student for her dog.
Melissa Martin, 47, who works at Barre Town Middle and Elementary School, entered a plea of not guilty on Thursday to charges of possessing cocaine and reckless endangerment after the substance was discovered while she was working.
The Barre Town Police were alerted to the issue at the school late morning on October 1 following reports that there was an adult appearing to be ‘under the influence of drugs,’ according to Police Chief William Dodge.
When police arrived, Martin allegedly admitted to having cocaine in her jacket pocket.
However, a K-9 search of her classroom turned up more suspected cocaine in both her jacket and backpack, police said.
‘We have charged her with cocaine possession and reckless endangerment due to her being under the influence while she was in charge of students in her classroom,’ explained Dodge.
The seized white powder weighed less than 2.5 grams, according to court documents.
Melissa Martin, 47, a substitute teacher at Barre Town Middle and Elementary School, was detained after allegedly taking cocaine into her classroom and being so intoxicated that she confused one of her students for her dog.
A K-9 unit search discovered just under 2.5 grams of cocaine in Martin’s jacket pocket and backpack. Depicted: Barre Town Middle and Elementary School in Barre, Vermont.
One mother, identified only as Brittany, said her eighth-grade son was in Martin’s class that day and immediately noticed something was wrong.
‘He looked visibly shaken and upset, and I asked what had happened today,’ she told NBC5. ‘He said that his substitute teacher was clearly on drugs and was acting crazy. Those were his exact words.’
According to Brittany’s son, Martin had been nodding off during class before suddenly running out of the room.
Concerned, he followed her – and that’s when things took a bizarre turn.
‘So he followed her, and I guess found her, and [Martin] said to him, “Hey Teddy, why are you off your leash?” and my son was like, what?’ Brittany said.
She later learned that Teddy is Martin’s dog.
The school quickly called 911 after students raised concerns about Martin’s behavior.
‘He did the right thing, and that is part of the curriculum. If you hear something, you’re concerned about something, you say something,’ Joan Canning, superintendent of the Barre Unified Union School District, told NBC5.
Joan Canning, superintendent of the Barre Unified Union School District, told NBC5 Martin was fired immediately, citing the district’s zero-tolerance policy
Martin allegedly confused one of her students for her dog, Teddy, while under the influence of drugs, according to a Barre Town Middle and Elementary school parent
Martin pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of cocaine possession and reckless endangerment after she was caught with the stimulant
Canning added that Martin, who had worked as a permanent substitute for about three years, admitted to drug use and was fired immediately under the district’s zero-tolerance policy.
‘In fact, we completed another background check, and both times this person’s background came back clean. We did not see anything,’ she said.
Parents, however, have since expressed outrage and disbelief over the incident.
‘A lot of us were just shocked, just wowed, because we never expected something like this to happen in a school,’ Sabrina Shea, whose son attends Barre Town Middle and Elementary, said.
‘I was furious. School is supposed to be safe. They’re supposed to be able to go to the teachers. Now she was intoxicated and acted funny. How are students supposed to feel safe around her?’
Martin was released on court conditions, including a prohibition on entering any school grounds, NBC5 reported.
Sabrina Shea (pictured), whose son attends Barre Town Middle and Elementary, said the incident made her ‘furious.’ ‘School is supposed to be safe. They’re supposed to be able to go to the teachers. Now she was intoxicated and acted funny. How are students supposed to feel safe around her?’
Canning said that, despite the disturbing nature of the case, parents should feel confident their children are safe.
‘The person is not at school now,’ she said. ‘The parents should feel totally confident that their students are safe.’
Still, Brittany said she wants to see stronger safeguards in place.
‘Where was the vetting? Why is there not drug testing? Why are we not following up and making sure these adults around our children are safe?’ she asked.
‘The utmost priority should be our children’s safety.’
