Two MCPS employees, Erin M. McKenna and Scott E. Price, were arrested at Glover Park Sports Bar on February 1 for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. They, along with a third party, were taken to the Second District station for processing while the entire incident was recorded on the officers’ body cameras.
According to a court document, McKenna and Price were caught manning a vendor table at the club with 102 edibles, five “brown liquid” capsules, and nine bags and two jars of marijuana. The confiscated drugs tested positive for THC, warranting the misdemeanor charges against the three.
McKenna, a school counselor at Sherwood High School, and Price, a digital arts teacher employed part-time at several Montgomery County schools, are awaiting their trial on March 7 at the Superior Court in Washington, D.C. They have been placed on administrative leave for the time being. Parents are confused as to why the trial is so delayed and why Sherwood administrators claim they only heard of their charges on February 14, 13 days after the arrest.
While parents remain skeptical of the administration’s decision to keep McKenna a part of the active staff, students and alumni have different opinions of her. Delmalik Dozier, a former student at Sherwood, stated that McKenna was “always a kind-gentle soul [doing] stuff to motivate [us].” He’s one of the many students taking to social media to make light of the situation and share their experiences with Sherwood staff.
Many students are also stunned that any MCPS teacher would engage in drug selling. Incidents of drug related crimes and charges are generally associated with students, not school counselors or art teachers.
This is the latest raid on D.C. businesses as authorities claim to cracking down on underground “pot parties” in the district. It is currently legal to possess and gift limited amounts of marijuana, but vending is still prohibited in the district of Columbia, where the sports club is located.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Sreelekha Chillanki of Richard Montgomery High School