A school crossing guard in Pennsylvania is facing serious charges after being accused of supplying middle school students with marijuana edibles and vaping devices, and allegedly smoking marijuana with a minor. Kiara Lee, 26, was taken into custody on Tuesday. The charges against Lee include two felony counts of drug possession with intent to distribute, two misdemeanor counts of corrupting a minor, and two misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession, as per court documents.
Lee was employed as a crossing guard at Penn Wood Middle School in Darby, Pennsylvania. Following the allegations, she was put on administrative leave and prohibited from entering the school premises.
The issue came to light on May 16 when Myishing Cox, the principal of Penn Wood Middle School, had a discussion with a student and their guardian about drugs being used and distributed near the school. The student revealed that Lee had given them vaping devices and regularly smoked marijuana with them. The student also alleged that Lee had supplied vaping devices to another student on three different occasions.
Further investigation revealed that another student had witnessed Lee distributing drugs and vaping devices to at least two students on multiple occasions. A second student corroborated these allegations against Lee.
The school authorities reported the alleged crimes to the Darby Borough Police Department. The police interviewed the guardian of the student, who confirmed that Lee had been supplying their child with vaping devices and marijuana edibles.
The police reportedly found text messages between the minor and Lee, which confirmed that they had consumed marijuana edibles and discussed their experiences with the drugs.
Darby Borough Chief Joseph Gabe stated, “While marijuana may not seem like a big deal to some folks in the community, I think we can all agree that crossing guards should not be providing narcotics – even if it is ‘just’ marijuana — to our kids.”
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer added, “School crossing guards epitomize the role of public servant. They are — quite literally — entrusted with the lives of our children and hold a position of sacred trust in communities across the Commonwealth and the country.”
The Borough of Darby released a statement expressing their deep disturbance over the allegations against Lee and thanked the Darby Borough Police Department for their efforts in ensuring community safety. The William Penn School District also expressed their disappointment over the incident and thanked the police and the district attorney’s office for their work on the case. Lee is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on June 14.