It's the seventh arrest at a school for drug possession by an HISD employee in just the last two weeks. Police don't think the drugs were ever brought inside the school. But having them there is in and of itself a serious offense.
Acting on an anonymous tip, a drug detection dog searched the parking lot outside Williams Middle School at about 10:30am Thursday. The dog indicated there was marijuana inside two of the vehicles.
"It was a small amount, but any amount of drugs on campus is unacceptable," said HISD Police Chief Victor Mitchell.
One of the vehicles belongs to a male teacher there. The other belongs to a woman who is also a teacher. Several people were questioned by police in the parking lot after the discoveries. Neither HISD nor the DA's office will tell us if those questioned are the teachers arrested.
Police say the tip call likely came from someone else who works in the district. The number called is not one known by the general public.
The offense is a first degree felony -- possession of a controlled substance in a drug free school zone. HISD says it's important to know how seriously they take such crimes, though they say these discoveries today are not too surprising.
"It is disappointing, absolutely disappointing," said Norm Uhl with HISD. "But by the same token, I believe you could take our drug dog into any employee parking lot and find at least two, if not more, hits on a car."
The teachers have been reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation.
A phone message went to parents of students who attend the school today. [Hear the message]
A tip to police is what led to another teacher's arrest last Friday. Sean Thomas, 37, was arrested after police found marijuana in his car at Worthing High School. He was suspended with pay pending an investigation. A week earlier, a teacher was arrested at HISD's Wheatley High School. A drug dog hit on Gina Thomas' car in the school parking lot. She was re-assigned away from the school.
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