Posted on 12/02/2004 12:01:21 PM PST by lindor
An assistant principal at West Middle School in Ypsilanti was placed on paid leave Wednesday while authorities investigate allegations that could lead to criminal charges, school officials said.
Marcus Burlingame, 33, of Ypsilanti Township, who has worked for the Ypsilanti district seven years, said Wednesday night that he is on leave for taking attention deficit disorder drugs intended for students at the school.
In an interview at his home, he apologized and said he plans to enter a drug treatment facility today.
The school district said in a statement that the matter is under investigation by the Washtenaw County Sheriff, the Michigan State Police and the district. However, no criminal charges have been filed, and district spokeswoman Tulani Smith declined to comment on the case.
State Police Det. 1st. Lt. Garth Burnside confirmed that Burlingame is under investigation by the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team, but he declined further comment.
Burlingame said he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder two years ago and had been taking Adderal, a prescription medication. Over time, he said, he became addicted to the medicine, adding to his daily dose with medicine kept under lock and key for students who have ADD. According to the administrator, school policy requires such medication to be dispensed by adults.
"I hope that the addictive behaviors of my disease do not take away from the incredible job of the West Middle School staff in creating a loving, safe environment for all our students," Burlingame wrote in an e-mail to The News.
He said in the interview that he thinks he took fewer than 20 pills from the students' medication containers.
Smith and West Principal Monica Merritt met with West staff for more than an hour after school Wednesday afternoon. Following the meeting, at least a dozen teachers declined to comment, saying they had not been told why the administrator has been placed on leave.
Superintendent David Zuhlke named West science teacher Timothy Podlewski interim assistant principal, the school district statement said.
Staff reporter Amalie Nash contributed to this report. Catherine O'Donnell can be reached at codonnell@annarbornews.com or (734) 994-6831.
Too much of those drugs will give you Attention SURPLUS Disorder.
So they're medicating kids with addictive drugs?
Hi! Glad to see you've made it out of the 1950's! : )
FYI..this is a recurring subplot on "Desperate Housewives"
The drug used to treat ADD is the powerful, pure equivalent of a street drug commonly known as "speed." It has long been known that a lot of this medication being prescribed for kids is being sold on street corners by parents more interested in making a buck than in their own child's welfare.
Are you telling me that Ritalin, etc. are actually conjugates of methamphetamine?
Ritalin, crushed into a powder and snorted, creates basically the same high as cocaine at a fraction of the cost.
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