Parents and students at a Vermont school were left stunned after what started as a regular school day quickly spiraled into something straight out of a bad TV drama. A substitute teacher’s strange behavior in class reportedly led to an unexpected and deeply concerning find.
It all unfolded on the morning of October 1 at Barre Town Middle & Elementary School. Police say 47-year-old Melissa Martin, a “permanent substitute teacher” for the Barre Unified Union School District, was reported by a student who noticed her acting unusually. School administrators stepped in, and what they discovered sent the situation from strange to serious in seconds.
Once staff confronted Martin, she allegedly admitted to having cocaine in her jacket pocket. A jacket sitting inside the same classroom she’d been teaching in. Officials quickly removed her from the room before police arrived on the scene, according to People magazine.
The Investigation Uncovers More Than Odd Behavior
K9 Lakota, the department’s narcotics dog, was brought in and immediately alerted officers to potential drugs. A search of Martin’s jacket and backpack reportedly revealed a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine.
Police cited Martin for possession of cocaine and reckless endangerment, noting that the case remains under investigation. Barre Unified Union School District officials confirmed that Martin is no longer at the school while personnel actions are being handled. Superintendent JoAn Canning stated she’s taking the necessary steps following the disturbing incident.
One mother shared that her son, who had been in Martin’s classroom that day, came home “visibly shaken.” He reportedly told her his teacher was “acting crazy” and “clearly on drugs.”
“This is ludicrous and never should have been done this way. Just given a citation? If it was someone else, you know what would have happened. I feel for these children, and I hope she can never be around them again,” another concerned parent adds.
What began as a normal school day quickly unraveled into a headline-making nightmare. Parents are demanding answers, students are still rattled, and the district is left scrambling to clean up the fallout. One thing’s for sure, Barre Town won’t be forgetting this substitute teacher’s shocking classroom scandal anytime soon.
Kendra Quinn 
Sabrina Russell 
Hunter Spears 
