By Steven Henshaw
Reading Eagle
A Gov. Mifflin High School substitute teacher was arrested after she bought marijuana from an undercover detective and a student she had asked to help her get the drug, investigators said today.
Susan Siegel, 53, Schwenksville, Montgomery County, called the 18-year-old male student out into the hallway during a business class Wednesday afternoon and asked if he could get her one-half ounce of marijuana, said Chief Detective Michael J. Gombar of the Berks County district attorney’s office.
Siegel sent several text messages to the student’s cell phone later Wednesday and Thursday morning, pressing him to arrange the deal, Gombar said.
Siegel offered to give the student vodka to help set up the deal, Gombar said.
Siegel had been teaching the class for about a month, Gombar said.
School district spokeswoman Kelly Rismiller said Siegel’s employment status is a personnel matter and officials would not comment.
She referred questions to the district attorney’s office.
Gombar said that in his 30 years of law enforcement, 20 of which were in narcotics investigation, he never before had a case where a student was approached by a teacher for drugs.
He said it is unknown why the teacher felt comfortable enough to ask the student to help her get drugs.
"I commend the student for reporting it to the school district and also Kevin Smith (district safe schools director) for coming to us immediately," he said.
"I’m just glad it worked out the way it did," Gombar said. "Hopefully, she’s not going to be teaching students anytime soon."
According to Gombar:
Siegel asked the student Wednesday to meet her Thursday at 3:40 p.m. in parking lot of a Reading diner. The student — a senior — initially told her that he could not get the marijuana until Friday.
In the meantime, the student contacted Smith, who asked Lt. Leon L. Domsic, a county narcotics detective, to investigate.
Domsic asked the student to tell Siegel that he would be able to get the marijuana and meet her Thursday.
Siegel drove to the parking lot, got into the student’s car and gave him a bottle of vodka.
The undercover detective, who was in another vehicle, got into the student’s car and sold Siegel the drug for $100.
The marijuana was evidence from an unrelated, closed case.
Siegel was taken into custody as she got back into her vehicle.
She was charged with possessing marijuana and furnishing alcohol to minors.
She was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail following arraignment before Senior District Judge Richard A. Gatti.
• Contact reporter Steven Henshaw at 610-371-5028 or shenshaw@readingeagle.com.
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