Teacher Pulled From Class For Growing Pot At Home

SPOKANE VALLEY — A Spokane Valley school teacher is on paid leave after he was arrested for growing marijuana at his home.

Daniel Kerr is a special education teacher at McDonald Elementary in Spokane Valley and was arrested three weeks ago for growing marijuana. His arrest, however, was something he neglected to mention to his principal.

Central Valley school officials didn’t learn about Kerr’s run-in with the law until Thursday and promptly pulled him out of class.

“As soon as we learned about the situation we went and met with him and placed him on leave pending the investigation,” Melanie Rose with the Central Valley School District said.

Last month a neighbor noticed what appeared to be marijuana growing in Kerr’s back yard. She called the Spokane Valley Police Department who sent officers out, looked over the hedge and spotted three potted marijuana plants.

About the same time Kerr walked out and represented the greenery as tomato plants. Deputies did not believe Kerr and arrested him. That’s when Kerr allegedly admitted he had grown the marijuana from seed so he could smoke it.

Kerr is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance and if found guilty on the charge it could cost him his teaching certificate.