Superintendent smokes weed during school hours and has gun on campus, Michigan cops say

A school superintendent is facing charges after allegedly smoking marijuana with a fellow administrator during school hours, and bringing a gun on campus, Michigan officials say.

Hollie Stange, superintendent of Fitzgerald Public Schools, is accused of getting high with the district’s food services director on Friday, Dec. 20, while parked in a car roughly 1,000 feet away from school grounds, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said in a Dec. 23 news release.

Police received a tip about “alleged narcotic activity on school property during school hours,” WDIV reported, and officers saw Stange get into a co-worker’s car and smoke a blunt together.

Stange and Amanda Carroll, both 38, drove away in separate vehicles and were pulled over by Warren police, the prosecutor’s office said.

Warren is a suburb of Detroit and is a roughly 20-mile drive north from the city’s downtown.

Warren police officers said both women were “under the influence,” according to prosecutors.

A gun was found inside of Stange’s car — a .22 rifle, which was wrapped in a blanket in the back seat, WWJ reported, adding that a 50-gram bag of weed was also in her purse, according to police. Prosecutors believe Stange had the gun in her car while she was on school grounds.

William Barnwell, an attorney defending Stange, said prosecutors will need to prove that what she smoked was actually weed and that she did so within 1,000 feet of campus, WXYZ reported. Barnwell also downplayed the weapon charge, saying “we’re talking about a hunting rifle. Not like a concealed weapon, not a machine gun.”

Carroll is also facing charges, and police say a 6-year-old child was riding in her vehicle when she was pulled over, WDIV reported.

Stange is charged with possession of marijuana on school grounds, possession of a weapon in a weapon free zone and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Charges against Carroll include 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.

“This is deeply concerning and violates the trust our community places in these school administrators,” Macomb 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.”

The school board voted unanimously to put Stange and Carroll on leave and the district has begun looking for candidates to replace them, WXYZ reported.

This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Superintendent smokes weed during school hours and has gun on campus, Michigan cops say."