Days before Christmas, on Friday, December 20, Hollie Lyn Stange, Fitzgerald Public Schools Superintendent, and Amanda Gail Carroll, Fitzgerald Public Schools Food Services Director, were arrested by Macomb County police. Allegedly, both women smoked marijuana inside Carroll's vehicle near school grounds before parting ways in separate vehicles.
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According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, police allegedly spotted Stange and Carroll smoking marijuana. They were just 1000 feet from school grounds. After they both went separate ways, police stopped them and determined that they were driving under the influence. Moreover, police found a rifle inside Stange's vehicle, alongside more marijuana, according to CBS News.
"This is deeply concerning and violates the trust our community places in these school administrators," Macom County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said. "Driving under the influence and possessing drugs near school grounds is not only unlawful but also puts the safety of our children at risk. As individuals entrusted with the well-being of Macomb County's children, we will take all necessary legal steps to ensure accountability"
Michigan police charged both women with multiple misdemeanors. Authorities charged Hollie Lyn Stange with possession of marijuana on school grounds, possession of a weapon in a weapon-free zone, and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Authorities charged Amanda Gail Carroll with possession of marijuana on school grounds, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated second offense, and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with an occupant less than 16 years old.
Ousted
Following their arrest, the Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education issued a statement on Sunday, December 22. "The Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education today voted unanimously to place District Superintendent Stange and Amanda Carroll on leave effective immediately pending our internal review and the ongoing criminal investigation," reads the statement.
Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, William Barnwell, Stange's defense attorney, defended his client. "My client is a dedicated educator and administrator with two decades of service, a mother of two young children herself, and is presumed innocent under the law of any charges to be released Monday," he told the outlet. "They have to prove she knew the weapon was in the vehicle, they have to prove distance (from school grounds) and they have to prove impairment."
Authorities instructed both women to have no contact with the school or school grounds. They will undergo random testing twice a week, meaning that they must not use alcohol or drugs. Finally, Stange and Carroll must have limited contact with each other.
