Bay District Schools suspends teacher without pay after arrest on Oct. 7

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – A Bay District School teacher has been suspended without pay following her arrest earlier this month.

The vote to suspend Southport Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Melanie Keesler came at Tuesday’s BDS school board meeting following a recommendation from Superintendent Mark McQueen.

According to arrest records, Keesler was arrested for possession of a controlled substance on school grounds.

Records show that on Oct. 7, Keesler was in possession of a backpack that contained two 400 mg THC inhalers with no name or prescription written on them. Keesler was also found with a sativa cartridge prescribed to another person and a black vape with a THC cartridge inserted.

Bay District Schools issued a statement to NewsChannel 7 regarding the suspension, which read in full:

“Bay District Schools has suspended an elementary school teacher without pay pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. We require our employees to adhere to the highest standards of conduct and will not tolerate allegations of criminal behavior.

We have full confidence in the criminal justice system and will cooperate fully with law enforcement and the justice system as this investigation progresses. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students and the integrity of our schools. We are committed to maintaining the trust of our community and fulfilling our commitment to transparency and accountability.”

NewsChannel 7 asked BDS for comment or on-camera statement about the situation during Tuesday night’s school board meeting, and the district declined the opportunity to comment on camera.

NewsChannel 7 will keep you informed of any updates to this story.

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