NEWS

WCC instructor fired after accused of giving pot brownie to student

Scott Hilden, chief of public safety, is pictured giving a talk on active-shooter training in September, 2018. Sara Faraj | Washtenaw Voice

By Lilly Kujawski
Editor

A part-time instructor at WCC was discharged after allegedly giving a cannabis brownie to an unknowing student last month.

The incident occurred on Feb. 12 in the Occupational Education building. The student victim, age 54, believed it was a regular brownie when he ate it. He began to feel effects of the cannabis about an hour later when he became lightheaded and dizzy, according to Scott Hilden, chief of public safety.

The victim thought he was experiencing a medical emergency, Hilden said. The victim, who was still on campus, was taken to the hospital by ambulance, said Linda Blakey, vice president of student and academic services.

At the hospital, elevated levels of THC were found in the victim’s system, said Hilden. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

The former employee was immediately suspended and removed from campus. Later, his employment was terminated when public safety officials determined that he knowingly gave the victim the brownie that contained cannabis, Hilden said. College officials declined to identify the dismissed employee.

Hilden said that to both the college and public safety officers, “nothing is more important than the health and safety of our students.”

The former part-time teacher in question is in his 60s. His precise employment information was not available from college officials; Blakey said he’d worked at WCC for several years. She added that the dismissed employee had no prior criminal record.

The victim has since been released from the hospital, according to Blakey.

The dismissed employee has not yet been charged. Should the victim decide to prosecute, the former part-time teacher could face a felony charge and up to 10 years in prison, Hilden said.

WCC is a drug and alcohol-free campus and the legal status of cannabis doesn’t change that, Blakey said. She added that the possession and consumption of cannabis is prohibited on campus, even if students hold a medical marijuana license.