Following a six-month investigation, a former teacher at Mt. Vernon and New Palestine school corporations was arrested on Thursday for allegedly providing students with drugs and alcohol.
Brock Wedgeworth was arrested for four counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, a level six felony, Greenfield Police announced Thursday afternoon. The charge is specific to a minor under the age of 16, according to court documents.
Wedgeworth gave illegal substances to at least one of his students during his time as a teacher, police say. To protect the identity of the student, Deputy Chief Charles McMichael did not say when or at which school this occurred. What specifically he is accused of giving the students was also not released for the same reasons.
Each of the four counts Wedgeworth faces could be punished with anywhere from six to 30 months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, meaning he could be facing a total of 10 years and $40,000 if convicted on all counts.
Both school districts denied any knowledge of the Wedgeworth’s alleged wrongdoing during his employment with either school, and neither was aware of the allegations at the time of his firing.
“Parents should talk to their kids that have potentially had this guy as a teacher,” McMichael said. “We want to be sure this hasn’t happened to other students and that this doesn’t continue to happen in the future.”