ANOTHER ARREST FOR DRUGS RATTLES ALAMANCE SCHOOLS

A five-month undercover operation at Graham High School in Alamance
County netted charges against five students for selling marijuana. A
total of 49 students at six Alamance County high schools were
implicated in a sweeping investigation that shocked the entire community.

Perhaps more disturbing than all of that, however, was this week's
arrest of a physical education teacher and coach at Graham High School
on a dozen drug counts.

Heather Renee Sweat-Melancon, 23, is charged with selling drugs to
students, using cocaine with a student on school grounds and
delivering drugs to a student's home.

That's much more devastating to the school than marijuana charges
against a handful of students.

The undercover operations at Alamance high schools were prompted by
concerns of widespread drug activity among students. They were an
effective means to halt dangerous behavior and send a message that
drug use poses a threat to a healthy school environment. But the focus
should not have been limited to students.

The youthful-looking police officer who posed as a student at Graham
High School apparently didn't find out about Sweat-Melancon's alleged
drug activity. That information was provided to police by students.
For that matter, other faculty members at Graham also apparently were
oblivious to this teacher's activities.

The police operation in Alamance County warned students to keep drugs
out of school. What message were they getting from the alleged drug
activity of a teacher?

No one should think that young people in Alamance County are more
inclined to use drugs than are their counterparts in Guilford,
Davidson, Randolph or other counties. Not every school system would be
bold enough to allow an undercover drug operation on its campuses, but
maybe more should be willing to do so.

Sadly, officers might have to look at teachers as well as students.