Teacher's Assistant Busted on Drug Charges

Police say crack cocaine and marijuana lead to charges against a teaching assistant in Rhea County, and another person. Detectives say the educator from Rhea County schools, had enough crack cocaine that they charged her with re-sale.

Brittany Arnold is a teacher's assistant at an elementary school in Rhea County. but Chattanooga police say, she's the one who's about to learn a hard lesson.

Lt. Kim Noorbergen said crime suppression detectives made a routine traffic stop on Bailey Ave. in Chattanooga last week.

"They observed the vehicle she was riding in. The driver didn't have his seat belt on. And that was the initial stop," said Lt. Noorbergen.

But during that routine stop officers say the man in the back seat of the car, started doing something strange.

"The backseat passenger started eating marijuana," said Lt. Noorbergen. "He had some marijuana on his person. And he began eating it? Just in front of the officer? Just in front of the officer, trying to destroy the evidence."

Officers told that man, Michael Massingill, Brittany Arnold and the driver to get out. And then they say Arnold was the one acting funny.

"While they were talking to her, she kinda walked away from the officers and one of the officers saw her put something down the front of her pants," said Lt. Noorbergen.

An officer searched her, and found 13 grams of crack. That's enough for a resale charge.

"On the street right now would go for about 6 or 700 dollars," said Lt. Noorbergen.

The Superintendent of Rhea County Schools said Arnold won't be back in the classroom anytime soon. She's on unpaid administrative leave until the outcome of a criminal investigation. If she's found guilty, she would be out of a job.

We were unsuccessful in finding Arnold for comment, but we did hear from her father.

He says this is a misunderstanding, his daughter is an innocent bystander, and the truth will come out.