A Livingston ISD teacher remains on administrative leave pending board action following her arrest for having illegal drugs in her classroom.
Amanda Marie Stanzel, 38 of Livingston, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone and abandoning or endangering a child or individual with intentional reckless criminal negligence.
“Livingston ISD takes this matter very seriously. We neither condone nor tolerate this type of behavior by staff members. The district is fully cooperating with law enforcement and will continue to follow all legal and personnel procedures,” a press release from Livingston ISD said.
Campus staff responded to a medical situation involving the employee on March 12. During that response, staff members discovered a substance and the administration notified law enforcement immediately.
Investigators arrived and identified the substance as methamphetamine and also found items commonly linked to drug use, according to a press release from the Livingston Police Department.
Investigators interviewed witnesses and identified Stanzel – who had already been taken to the hospital for treatment – as a person of interest. Officers interviewed Stanzel on March 13 and presented the case to Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Terri Mayer who found probable cause and issued the two arrest warrants.
Stanzel was released from the hospital on March 18, taken into custody by Livingston police officers and booked into the Polk County Jail.
According to the Livingston Police Department, there is no evidence at this time that any students came in contact with the drugs.
“At all times, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority. We are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and drug-free learning environment,” Livingston ISD’s press release said.
“We immediately placed the employee on administrative leave following the March 12 incident. The Livingston Police Department conducted its investigation which led to the employee’s arrest. Because this is an ongoing legal and personnel matter, the district will not provide additional details at this time,” Livingston ISD’s press release said.
