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Substitute busted for pot at school
By Chris Michlewicz
It’s not what most would consider an institution of higher learning, but one substitute teacher appeared to think it was.
It started when a teacher smelled smoke in a faculty restroom last month at Legacy Point Elementary School in Parker. Understandably alarmed, she notified administrators who immediately looked into the cause. When they viewed surveillance tape from a camera focused on the bathroom door, they saw a young man enter around 10:30 a.m. and exit roughly 15 minutes later.
It was Aaron Haze, 33, of Castle Rock, who was serving as a substitute teacher at Legacy Point. When confronted by the school’s security officer, he admitted to smoking marijuana during school hours inside the lavatory and later produced a pipe and some dryer sheets he used to try and hide the smell.
Haze has now been banned from teaching in the Douglas County School District and could face further sanctions, said Dan Clemente, director of school safety and security for the district. That’s in addition to the citations he received for possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia. It’s unclear if he will face stiffer criminal penalties for using drugs on school grounds.
While questioning Haze, the officer noted in his report that Haze “became evasive with me stating that he understood there was video footage of him smoking in the bathroom.”
Clemente was surprised when he learned of the May 12 incident. He has seen similar activity among students, but has never heard of someone “being that bold” as to use drugs at an elementary school, Clemente said.
“Our teacher groups are so close knit, so someone stands out when they do something like this,” the security director said.
The smell of smoke was not cause to evacuate the school because administrators quickly learned it was marijuana smoke. Officials decided against sending a letter home to parents because no students were thought to be in immediate danger.
Clemente said he was unsure what grade Haze was substituting for and whether students were left unattended in the classroom while he was in the restroom. Another teacher was found to fill in for the remainder of the day, he said.
It started when a teacher smelled smoke in a faculty restroom last month at Legacy Point Elementary School in Parker. Understandably alarmed, she notified administrators who immediately looked into the cause. When they viewed surveillance tape from a camera focused on the bathroom door, they saw a young man enter around 10:30 a.m. and exit roughly 15 minutes later.
It was Aaron Haze, 33, of Castle Rock, who was serving as a substitute teacher at Legacy Point. When confronted by the school’s security officer, he admitted to smoking marijuana during school hours inside the lavatory and later produced a pipe and some dryer sheets he used to try and hide the smell.
Haze has now been banned from teaching in the Douglas County School District and could face further sanctions, said Dan Clemente, director of school safety and security for the district. That’s in addition to the citations he received for possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia. It’s unclear if he will face stiffer criminal penalties for using drugs on school grounds.
While questioning Haze, the officer noted in his report that Haze “became evasive with me stating that he understood there was video footage of him smoking in the bathroom.”
Clemente was surprised when he learned of the May 12 incident. He has seen similar activity among students, but has never heard of someone “being that bold” as to use drugs at an elementary school, Clemente said.
“Our teacher groups are so close knit, so someone stands out when they do something like this,” the security director said.
The smell of smoke was not cause to evacuate the school because administrators quickly learned it was marijuana smoke. Officials decided against sending a letter home to parents because no students were thought to be in immediate danger.
Clemente said he was unsure what grade Haze was substituting for and whether students were left unattended in the classroom while he was in the restroom. Another teacher was found to fill in for the remainder of the day, he said.
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