Casey Johnson, 32, of Hyattsville, Md. was arrested by Montgomery County Police in Germantown, Md. Jan. 9 for possession of illegal narcotics and drug dealing paraphernalia.
Johnson has worked as a special education teacher’s aide at Clopper Mill Elementary School in Germantown for five years.
A Montgomery County police officer initiated a traffic stop when he noticed that the brake light of Johnson’s car was out, according to local ABC affiliate WJLA. As he approached the vehicle, he noted that Johnson and her passenger, Anthony Haqq of Silver Spring, Md., looked nervous.
“Johnson was nervously fumbling around looking for her license and the vehicle registration. [Her] voice was trembling and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. The carotid pulse in [her] neck was visibly beating rapidly and her breathing was extremely labored,” indicated the investigating officer, according to WJLA.
Suspecting something fishy, the officer requested a K9 unit to further investigate the vehicle. The dog quickly located a backpack containing a large amount of marijuana, a scale, and odorous coffee grounds and orange peels in the trunk of the car. Continuing the investigation, officers found $544, bundled in a style typical of drug dealers, in Johnson’s shirt pocket.
Montgomery County Public Schools then decided against telling parents that Johnson had been arrested. School spokesperson Dana Tofig explained that the arrest was not a school-related matter because the arrest took place off campus and there is no evidence to suggest that Johnson possessed illegal drugs on school property. The decision has irritated some Germantown parents.
“It really bothers me. I definitely think they should have notified the parents, and especially the parents that had to deal directly with this teacher,” parent Amy Riley told WJLA.
“I don’t think [she] should continue to teach our children,” added another parent Laeticia Masumbuko.
Both Johnson and Haqq face a maximum of 11 years in state prison.