A Verona Borough woman is facing child-endangerment charges after a school staff member found a package of suspected marijuana inside her child's backpack at Verner Elementary School on Wednesday morning. Police say the discovery happened as a staff member was collecting backpacks and folders, and that the package bore the woman's name along with a label reading “lemon cherry sherbert 14g littles hybrid.”
According to CBS News, a police officer happened to be at Verner Elementary for an unrelated matter that morning when the situation unfolded. The officer reported that the student had arrived at school with what was believed to be a strong odor of marijuana, and the school principal asked the officer to speak with her about the find.
Police said that once the suspected marijuana was discovered inside the backpack, 30-year-old Kylie Williams asked that the package be returned to her and said no one needed to know about the incident, per the same account. Williams now faces child-endangerment charges in connection with the incident.
Jail, Bail and an Upcoming Hearing
Williams was taken to Allegheny County Jail following the incident and has since posted bail, the report states. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month, though the outcome of that proceeding has not yet been determined.
The report also notes that Williams has a separate, ongoing case involving allegations of physical assault against her 13-year-old child.
What Pennsylvania Law Says About Child Endangerment
Under Pennsylvania's child-endangerment statute, a parent, guardian, or other person supervising a child under 18 commits an offense by knowingly endangering a child's welfare through violation of a duty of care, protection, or support, according to Pennsylvania General Assembly, Title 18, Section 4304. The statute generally classifies such an offense as a first-degree misdemeanor, though certain circumstances can elevate it to a felony; it is not established which grading, if any, applies in Williams's case. The law also states that a court shall consider ordering counseling for anyone convicted under the section.
No further details on the child's identity or the school district's response have been made public. The case remains pending as Williams awaits her preliminary hearing later this month.
