There is a scandal on our hands in Delaware County, Pennsylvania! It seems like the last person you’d expect to be involved in illegal activity has been caught red-handed. That’s right, Crossing Guard Kiara Lee has been arrested for allegedly distributing e-cigarettes and marijuana to middle school students in her area. Can you believe it?
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of a Crossing Guard, I picture someone friendly and trustworthy, looking out for the safety of kids as they make their way to school. But it turns out, Kiara Lee may have had a darker side to her than we ever imagined.
Officials say 26-year-old Kiara Lee was charged in connection with providing vapes to students.
Police are asking families with information to come forward, especially if their children have ever interacted with the crossing guard.
“Just to know that they can get it from someone who’s supposed to be helping them get home is insane to me,” Penn Wood Middle School parent Maya Bryant said.
Bryant’s 14-year-old daughter walks home from school, often using the same intersection Lee was stationed at.
“It’s alarming,” Bryant said. “It’s disturbing.”
According to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Lee provided vapes to students at or near the intersection of North MacDade Boulevard and Summit Street, which is about five blocks from the school.
The DA’s office said after a police investigation last month, a student witness told school officials they saw Lee providing students with vapes at least three separate times.
One student who received the vapes also told the student witness that they would smoke marijuana with Lee frequently, officials said.
The guardian of the student who received the vapes said Lee also provided their child with marijuana edibles.
“You shouldn’t do such a thing,” Darby resident Shay Johnson said. “It’s kind of disgraceful a little bit. I feel bad for these poor babies.”
According to officials, text messages between a student and Lee confirmed they had taken the edibles.
“You’re a crossing guard. I trust that when my kid comes home from school, the crossing guard isn’t giving them anything crazy,” Johnson said.
In a statement, Police Chief Joseph Gabe said, “Our dedicated team knows that protecting the kids in our community is absolutely central to our mission. While marijuana may not seem like a big deal to some folks in the community, I think we can all agree that crossing guards should not be providing narcotics – even if it is ‘just’ marijuana – to our kids.”
Parents said they believe more should be done to ensure those working around children are vetted properly.
“I feel like people should pay more attention to who they are hiring, especially when it comes to children,” Johnson said. “I don’t care if you feel like it’s too extreme to be going through stuff like this, but that’s nothing no parent would ever want their child to be introduced to.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Lee was in custody and awaiting arraignment, according to the district attorney’s office.
She is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and corruption of minors.
In the meantime, let’s all keep a close eye on kids and make sure they know they can come to us if they ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe. The safety and well-being of children should always be our top priority, and we must do everything we can to protect them from harm.
Flip to the next page to watch Kiara Lee’s arrest…
