A Wisconsin elementary school teacher has been arrested after police say she used cocaine on campus, following the discovery of white powder and bloody tissues in the bathroom.
Laurie Laubenstein, 58, who is a teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in New London, has been charged with possession of cocaine with a modifier for possession of a controlled substance in or near certain places.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by WBAY, an anonymous tipster reported concerns to the school principal about Laubenstein’s behavior, but said they were not taken seriously.
The tipster claimed they had noticed changes in her behavior, saw her frequently entering the bathroom with her purse, and found bloody tissues and white powder in the bathroom.
A school resource officer later found a small amount of white powder on a bathroom counter in Laubenstein’s classroom and took it to police, where it tested positive for cocaine, according to authorities.
On February 12, the school resource officer returned to the school with a police K-9 and searched Laubenstein, where they found cocaine in her purse and coat pocket, according to the complaint.
Investigators interviewed Laubenstein where she admitted she began using cocaine in August, authorities stated. She told police she did not know the weight or amount she purchased and said she would give someone money for an unknown quantity.
Laubenstein also admitted she used cocaine before school that day and again after school, including in the classroom and teacher’s lounge bathrooms, according to the complaint. She told police that she always cleans up after herself and would never put her students in danger.
The school district sent a letter to parents and families notifying them of the investigation. The letter said that “at no point were students or staff in harm’s way.”
Officials said the investigation remains ongoing. Laubenstein is scheduled to appear in court on March 17.
