Students slip drug into teacher's drink

News 14 Carolina
12/20/2005 8:54 PM
By: Mercer Merrill

SHELBY, N.C. -- Cleveland County school officials confirmed Tuesday that two freshmen were suspended for putting a drug in their teacher's drink when he wasn’t looking.

Jerry Bumbaugh, a technology teacher at Crest High School, didn’t drink the spiked water, though. He was tipped off by another student.

"It was more or less on a dare,” said David Bramlett, a school resource officer. “It wasn’t a situation where the student was out to get a teacher.”

The incident happened Dec. 12. The ground-up drug is not yet known, although school officials believe it is probably Ecstasy. Bramlett said the school did a related investigation and found what they believe to be Ecstasy on a student.

"We'll know for sure when the test results come back,” Bramlett said. “But right now, with the information we've got so far, it seems to be Ecstacy."

The substances have been sent to the State Bureau of Investigation, which has its crime lab in Raleigh. Results are expected to come back in about six months.

According to school officials, the two freshmen were suspended for 10 days. More students might be involved, however, and charges are still pending.