Principal arrested on drug charges

Jennifer St. Amand-Smith is principal of Durham Elementary

PEARLAND, Texas – An elementary school principal is facing drug charges.

Pearland police said Jennifer St. Amand-Smith, the principal of the Houston Independent School District's Durham Elementary, called them to her home about midnight Feb. 19 because she thought her husband might try to hurt himself.

The husband was taken to a hospital. Police said they started collecting firearms from the home in case he became suicidal when he got back.

"It was during the process of securing those firearms that they discovered numerous items of paraphernalia, drug paraphernalia, out in plain view," Lt. Onesimo Lopez said.

According to court documents, officers found marijuana, a bong, six glass pipes with residue that tested positive for methamphetamines, syringes and three Ecstasy pills, among other evidence.

Lopez said St. Amand-Smith told investigators that she didn't know her husband was using drugs, and she claimed that none of it belonged to her.

"Just from the items and the locations and them being in plain view, it would be kind of hard not to notice," Lopez said.

St. Amand-Smith and her husband were arrested four days later. They were charged with possession of narcotics.

St. Amand-Smith was placed on paid administrative leave after her arrest. Administrators said that when they asked her about the arrest, she told them that police found a bag containing a marijuana joint and three Ecstasy pills that belonged to her brother-in-law tucked in a closet.

The school district asked KPRC Local 2 to send over the public documents regarding the charges so they could review them.