April 18, 2008 - Jennifer Shepherd, an exceptional-edu
cation teacher at Carrollwood Elementary School since January, was arrested on drug possession charges. Shepherd is charged with felony possession of cocaine, felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police responded to a distrubance at a residence where she was a guest. They noticed Shepherd sitting on a bar stool with her hands behind her back. Asked what she was hiding, she replied, "Mints." Officer David Hancock approached Shepherd and observed a metal container protruding from the left back pocket of her jeans.EMPLOYMENT: Employment records show she taught at King High School from 2003 to 2007 and joined the staff at Carrollwood Elementary after briefly teaching at Land O' Lakes High School in Pasco County from 1997 to 2003.
She handed officers a mint container, and inside they found a baggie of cocaine and an Adderall pill mixed in with the mints. Adderall is an amphetamine used to treat children and adults who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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School District: Hillsborough County Public Schools
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SUSPENDED May 6 - The Hillsborough County School suspended Shepherd without pay, effective today.
