PTA member voices support after teacher charged in fentanyl-related death
SILVER SPRING, Md. - 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.
The teacher arrested and charged has been identified as 34-year-old Sarah K. Magid. She’s now suspended from Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School, pending the possible trial.
Montgomery County Police arrested Magid at her Burtonsville home on a warrant this past Monday. She’s facing five felony charges related to violating state controlled-substance laws.
Montgomery County Police say the investigation started on March 25, when a man died in his D.C. home. Police also identified the victim as staying in a place that serves those battling drug and alcohol addictions.
READ MORE: Maryland first-grade teacher arrested in connection with fentanyl-related death
Court documents say after the man’s death, his family searched his phone and told investigators, they discovered text conversations with a "301" number saved as "Sarah" that discussed multiple drug transactions.
At one point in January, "Sarah" is quoted as messaging about a certain pill, writing:
"And they’re strong"
"So u better do half"
"CuZ they’re good Af"
Police believe the direction to use half a pill, points to Magid understanding the dangers of dealing in fentanyl. Other messages detailed in court documents allegedly discuss Magid both selling-out her supply and using it.
Police claim Magid continued messaging the victim after his death, until a family member responded to the chat two days later. Court documents say those messages read in part, "This is [Victim 1’s] sister. He died. You should [expletive] kill yourself."
Some of the response from "Sarah" are documented as reading: "I teach" and "Don’t blame ur brothers choices on me." The account also denied allegations they sold to the victim.
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary PTA Treasure Tyeshia Delemos tells FOX 5 she had a different response learning of the arrest.
"I worry about how she was with the kids. And she was amazing with my son. So, I know it’s a big story right now but it doesn’t take away how awesome she was as a teacher," said Delemos, who described her son as being sent to Magid’s class multiple times, "He was in her class often for like parties an in her class for ESY which is summer school, and she was amazing with him. And my son has autism and so you know it takes special people to handle kids with special needs and she did amazing with them."
"I don’t know if she’s guilty, that’s up the cops to figure out and the lawyers to figure out. I just focus on how it impacted her students," added Delemos, who tells FOX 5 the school is now scrambling to find a long-term sub to replace Magid ahead of MCPS’ first day of school on August 26.
Delemos tells FOX 5 when Magid came to work, she performed. FOX 5 pointed to the January 2023 fentanyl crisis within MCPS and asked whether she thought the school could’ve done anything different. Delemos answered that he didn’t think so because when Magid came to work, she always performed.
The head of the Montgomery County Parents Coalition, Janis Zink Sartucci, told FOX 5’s Sierra Fox, she has a number of concerns.
"It’s a scary situation and so the allegations are definitely concerning for parents and the first thing they’re going to want to know is did it have any impact on the classroom and their children?" Sartucci said in an interview.
The MCPS student advocate also voiced frustration this case was not addressed at school board meeting the night before.
"Would’ve been a perfect opportunity for the Chief of Security at MCPS and the police department to partner with an announcement about this arrest, put everything out there so parents can understand exactly what’s going on and they can know what the school system’s response is to these types of situations," she added.
Fox says a school’s spokesperson responded saying there is not much more then can say due to this being a personnel matter. FOX 5 is aware there are certain privacy laws that must be followed in personnel matters.
Magid appeared for a Bond Hearing on Tuesday. She’s due back in court September 13.