Charlotte (WCCB) - A Charlotte-area teacher is in serious trouble with the law. The teacher, who taught art at two elementary schools, was arrested for having heroin in the classroom.
A sign on George McDonald's locked classroom door reads "art class is canceled until Friday."
So students at Bruns Avenue Elementary stayed in their regular classrooms, but the assistant principal has a gut feeling something wasn't right. A school administrators says the woman saw him attempting to strap his arm in an attempt to use the drug.
McDonald, 50, was immediately arrested, and then he immediately resigned from the district. He taught at two schools--Bruns Avenue and McAlpine Elementary.
"We won't tolerate this kind of behavior at CMS and we plan to notify state officials so that this individual won't be able to do this at any other schools in the future," says Dr. Peter Gorman, the School Superintendent.
The news of a teacher attempting to inject heroin into his arm in the classrom is sending shock waves through the community.
"This is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard as far as a school and to know my child was there, it's really scary, scary," says Tamika Jones, a parent. "I don't like it."
Jones says she wants teachers drug tested, and neighbor Casey Sloan agrees. "If you're working with children in a public school, they should have mandatory drug tests."
CMS does run background checks, and McDonald passed the check when he started in 2004. In 2005, he was arrested in Buncombe County, North Carolina for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Under CMS policy, he should have reported the arrest to officials, but he never did. The district is planning to re-evaluate that policy.
WCCB-TV
6/6/2007 1:35:27 PM
