A Texas elementary school teacher was arrested after he allegedly dropped a baggie of methamphetamine in the hallway outside of a classroom, officials said.
Daniel Anthony Gonzalez, a 38-year-old special education teacher at Mary Hull Elementary School in San Antonio, was taken into custody on December 6 on felony drug possession and child endangerment charges, KSAT reported.
Gonzalez, who had been working within the Northside Independent School District (NISD) since 2012, was reported to police by school staff after a matchbox containing a suspicious substance was discovered on the floor.
After reviewing surveillance footage, a police report obtained by KSAT stated that it was determined that the matchbox fell out of Gonzalez’s pocket as he pulled out a key to open a classroom.
Police said the contents of the matchbox included a straw and a baggie with a white crystal substance that later tested positive for meth.
“Staff acted quickly to turn in the unidentified item and NISD Police acted swiftly to determine what the item was and its origin,” an NISD spokesperson said in a statement to the local outlet.
Gonzalez was arrested while he was still working on the campus and booked into Bexar County Jail before being released on bond the next day, jail records obtained by the outlet revealed.
Despite initially being placed on administrative leave after his arrest, the disgraced teacher submitted his own resignation effective December 20.
Concerned parents of Mary Hull Elementary School told KSAT that they were only informed of the arrest and accusations recently, despite it taking place weeks ago.
“That is actually my son’s teacher,” mother Chelsy Leal said. “He is the one who takes care of my son.”
“Special needs children need extra care, so if he’s drugged out trying to take care of my kid, how is that safe for my kid?” she continued, before adding that the school district needs to “notify parents as soon as that happens, not weeks later like this now.”
Another disgruntled parent, Stephanie Rodriguez, said she was surprised to learn of the news online instead of directly from the school.
“I was in shock because I found out over the internet and not having a direct phone call,” she said.
