Drug charges have been dismissed against a former Springdale teacher accused of growing marijuana at his home, records show.
Michael Perez-Guerra, a former math teacher at Springdale’s Alternative Learning Environment, was arrested in 2012 on suspicion of manufacturing marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He was released on $2,500 bond from the Washington County Detention Center.
After completing a year-long program in the Washington County Drug Court, the charges against him were dismissed, according to a court order filed by the Circuit Clerk on Jan. 29, 2014.
Perez-Guerra resigned from his teaching job on Oct. 29, 2012, the same month administrators said they would decide how to deal with his situation.
He had been on paid administrative leave pending a district investigation since his arrest on Sept. 18, 2012.
The Alternative Learning Environment is a specialized school geared toward students who need extra help to graduate from high school.
The Elkins Police Department received a complaint about Perez-Guerra possibly having marijuana in his backyard.
When officers arrived at the Elkins home, police could see a three-foot marijuana plant with buds growing in the yard, according to a preliminary arrest report.
Officers executed a search warrant and found more than 21 grams of marijuana in the home. They also found a closet in a hallway that had been converted into a small grow room. The closet held two potted marijuana plants and grow lights, the report states.
