Lexington teacher terminated after investigation into medication theft
UPDATE FROM THE LEXINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT (2:48 p.m. 3/4/25):
On March 3, 2025, the Lexington Police Department initiated an investigation into allegations surrounding the theft of medications by a staff member of the Lexington City School System. Earlier today, the school system terminated this employee as part of their internal review of the facts. Lexington Police investigators are working with the school system to collect information and evidence regarding these allegations. In the coming days the department will present its findings to District Attorney General Jody Pickens for consideration of a criminal prosecution.
No additional details are currently available. This matter remains active and on-going.
FROM THE LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM (3/4/25):
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are writing to inform you of a serious matter that recently came to our attention. At Caywood Elementary, the safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority, and we believe in open communication with our school community.
Yesterday afternoon, concerns were brought to the principal’s attention that an employee may be stealing medication from locked cabinets in the nurse’s office. Upon confirming this misconduct, we took immediate action, and the employee has been terminated. Additionally, we have reported the incident to the appropriate authorities and are cooperating fully with their investigation.
We deeply regret that this situation occurred and understand that it may raise concerns. We want to assure you that we are reviewing and strengthening our security protocols to prevent anything like this from happening again. We are also conducting a full audit of all student medications to ensure that no child’s health or safety was impacted.
If your child has medication stored at the school and you have any concerns, please feel free to contact our Director of Schools, Cindy Olive at 731-967-5591 or email olivec@caywood.org. We are committed to maintaining the trust you place in us and will continue to take every necessary step to uphold the highest standards of care and security for our students.
We sincerely apologize for this situation and appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure the continued safety and integrity of our school. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Cindy Olive
Director of Schools
Lexington City Schools
We followed up with Olive Tuesday morning, who shared the following:
“Our nurse had reported it looked like medication had been tampered with so we went back on our cameras and started to watch the traffic.”
She said while they were watching the cameras that they identified the individual responsible as a teacher. She said they called the SRO into the meeting and school officials met with her this morning.
“We met with her and showed her all the evidence we had. She did admit to it.”
Olive said the teacher left the building with law enforcement.
We also spoke with Lexington Police Chief Jeff Middleton, who stated:
“No arrest has been made at this time. I can confirm we are conducting an active investigation regarding allegations of theft at our school.”
At this time, the identity of the teacher has not been confirmed by authorities. Stay with us on-air and online as we’ll provide an update once more details become available.
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