by VDC staff
A permanent substitute teacher at Barre Town Middle & Elementary School was cited Wednesday after police said she was found in possession of cocaine on school grounds.
According to a release from the Barre Town Police Department, officers and Barre Town Ambulance responded to the school around 10:49 a.m. on Oct. 1 for a report of an adult female under the influence of drugs.
The woman was identified as Melissa Martin, 47, a permanent substitute teacher employed by the Barre Unified Union School District. Police said the incident came to light after a student noticed Martin behaving unusually and reported it to staff.
School administrators removed Martin from her classroom and, during a subsequent conversation, she admitted she had cocaine in her jacket pocket, which was still inside the classroom.
Barre Town Police brought in K9 Lakota, who alerted to narcotics in both a jacket and a backpack belonging to Martin. A search of the jacket revealed a white substance that tested presumptively positive for cocaine, police said.
Martin was cited for possession of cocaine and reckless endangerment. The classroom was unoccupied when officers entered.
Police directed all questions regarding Martin’s employment status to the Barre Unified Union School District. Barre school officials emailed parents a message (at right) saying that the halls had to be cleared for police and emergency personnel and that the “incident only involved an adult.” No mention was made that the adult was a teacher.