The nurse at Brookwood Elementary School is facing charges for allegedly stealing a student’s Adderall prescription at the Grovetown school.
“At this time, the former school nurse has admitted to taking the medication and has been criminally charged by Columbia County School District Police. She is no longer employed by the Columbia County School District,” said the Columbia County School District in a press release Tuesday evening.
The school district did not name the nurse, but a jail website showed that 44-year-old Ashley Staulcup was charged Tuesday with obtaining controlled substance by theft. Staulcup is identified on the school website as a school nurse.
She identifies herself on Facebook as a LPN School Nurse at Brookwood Elementary School. She has been released on a $2,600 bond.
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A warrant says Staulcup took 22 Adderall capsules prescribed for a student for the purpose of personal ingestion. They were each 5 mg capsules.
Adderall is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, two central nervous stimulants that improve focus and reduce impulsivity by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain. They are often used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Kay Garcia Castro identified herself on Facebook as the mother of the child whose medicine was stolen. She expressed anger in the theft and said she trusted the nurse to help her child.
“This is absolutely abuse of a special needs child. You have been neglecting his needs and doing him a disservice!” the mother wrote on her Facebook page. “I’m not sure what’s next with this, but as for me. It’s not over. I need to know what you gave my child on the occasions that you stole his medication. No wonder he refuses to take medicine @ school. And how guilty do I feel knowing my child can’t tell me in words what is going on… I’m not Jesus so I’m not obligated to have mercy for you! Might need a lawyer for this!”
Earlier on Tuesday, March 19, the school district sent out a press release stating there was reason to suspect tampering of some of the medications stores in the school clinic.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we ask that if you have a medication provided to the school clinic, to please come inspect the contents and if necessary, at your discretion, provide a replacement. No further medication will be dispensed until this process has been verified,” according to the school district.
No other information has been provided.
(Staff writer Greg Rickabaugh contributed to this report.)
