A local middle school teacher was arrested last week after two students discovered methamphetamine in a hidden compartment on her hair scrunchie. Sarah Duncan, 35, was attending a family fun night at the Helfrich Park STEM Academy in Indiana along with her daughter, who was a student at the school.
The incident occurred on September 12, when the school was hosting a family fun night for students and their families. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, Duncan was seen posing for photos with students at a photo booth. After the photo, two students noticed a scrunchie with a hidden compartment on the table and decided to open it. Inside, they found a glass vial with a white powder substance and a cut straw. The students immediately notified another teacher, who instructed them to throw the substance in the trash.
The teacher secured the scrunchie in her classroom and reported the incident to the school’s principal and assistant principal. Meanwhile, two janitors working the night of the event told police that Duncan was frantically searching for a hair tie after the event had ended. Security camera footage from the school confirmed that Duncan had been wearing the scrunchie earlier in the evening.
Responding police officers administered a field test for methamphetamine on the scrunchie, which came back positive. Two days later, the school’s deputy chief of staff and the Evansville Police Chief accompanied Duncan to a nearby clinic for a drug urine screening. However, her first two urine samples were too small and did not reach the appropriate level and temperature for testing. When making a third attempt, police observed an unauthorized collection container fall from Duncan’s shorts. She claimed to have no knowledge of the container and stated that it must have been placed there by someone else.
Duncan was subsequently booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on one count of criminal possession and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released on $1,000 bond under the condition that she attend a drug rehabilitation program. The school district confirmed that she had been fired on the day of her arrest.
According to a court clerk at Vanderburgh Superior Court, Duncan’s first court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 9. She has not yet been assigned a public defender and has not made any public statements about the incident.
This shocking event has raised concerns and questions within the community. How was a teacher able to bring illegal drugs onto school property? What measures will be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of students in the future? And what will happen to Duncan’s teaching career? These are all important questions that the school district and law enforcement will need to address.
For now, Duncan has been relieved of her duties as a teacher and is facing serious criminal charges. It serves as a reminder of the urgency to address the issue of illegal drug use in our community. Parents, teachers, and law enforcement must work together to prevent these dangerous substances from affecting our youth. The safety and well-being of our children should always be a top priority.