Teacher Toked To Cope, Police Say

By VALERIE KALFRIN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Dec 13, 2007

TAMPA - A Middleton High School math teacher told police Tuesday that he smoked a joint on his way to school to cope with the students in his classroom, a police spokeswoman said.

Officers charged Vernon Antonio Welch, 32, of Tampa, with misdemeanor marijuana possession after a search of his car on school grounds, Tampa police said. He was released on his own recognizance.

Welch, who has been employed by the school district since 1998, has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the criminal case, school district spokesman Steve Hegarty said. Welch earns about $40,000 annually, Hegarty said.

Reached at home Wednesday, Welch declined comment.

A student at the school, at 4801 N. 22nd St., told another teacher Tuesday that "his math teacher was possibly using marijuana," police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor said.

McGregor did not have details about what made the student suspicious.

The other teacher reported the matter to school administrators, who confronted Welch. He agreed to a search of his car, and it was done just after 4 p.m., McGregor said.

Inside the car was the butt of a marijuana cigarette, McGregor said.

A school resource officer spoke to Welch, who said he had "smoked it on his way to school to cope with the kids in his classroom," McGregor said.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin

@tampatrib.com.