Maryland teacher indicted on federal drug charges
SILVER SPRING - A Montgomery County first-grade teacher is facing federal drug charges after being accused of selling fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose earlier this year.
Sarah Katherine Magid, 34, who taught at Charles Drew Elementary School, was indicted on charges of distributing fentanyl and other controlled substances.
According to a 15-page federal indictment, Magid allegedly sold drugs during school hours and on school property.
Magid, currently on leave from her teaching position, was initially arrested in August after investigators linked her to the March overdose death of a man at a D.C. drug rehabilitation center.
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Maryland first-grade teacher arrested in connection with fentanyl-related death
A first-grade teacher in Montgomery County has been arrested in connection with a fentanyl-related death.
Text messages obtained by federal agents revealed that Magid sold the victim pills disguised as oxycodone, which were later determined to contain fentanyl.
In the weeks following the man’s death, Magid is accused of purchasing over 400 pressed fentanyl pills, according to the indictment.
Authorities also stated that she had been dealing drugs, including opioids and fentanyl, since 2019.
The indictment further alleges that police received an anonymous tip in July, claiming Magid was seen leaving her classroom to sell drugs to individuals.
PTA member voices support after teacher charged in fentanyl-related death
On Wednesday morning, a PTA member voiced support for a Montgomery County Public School first grade teacher recently arrested and charged in connection with a fentanyl-related death.
Montgomery County student activist Valarie Davis, with the Montgomery County Black Coalition for Excellence in Education, expressed outrage over the allegations and the lack of preventative measures in schools.
"Why aren't we drug testing the people who have these little lives in their hands?" Davis said. "That’s a stunner, and we are taking action on that. That is a concrete action coming out of this town hall."
Davis noted that school district officials, including the chief of schools and the chief of safety and security, as well as Councilmember Kristin Mink, attended a town hall last month where the issue of drug testing school employees was raised.
Montgomery County Public Schools confirmed Magid’s employment but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
If convicted, Magid faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum of life behind bars.