An elementary school teacher in Florida was arrested after she was accused of stealing prescription medication from a coworker’s backpack.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Us that Deborah Gibbens was arrested on Tuesday, October 6, and charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
The investigation into Gibbens, 51, began one day earlier on Monday, October 5, after a school resource deputy received a report of a theft inside a school office. Authorities confirmed that the incident was captured on video.
The coworker told deputies that she installed a camera in the office after she grew suspicious when pills from her hydrocodone prescription went missing three weeks earlier.
She said she returned from a meeting on Monday and found that two of the four pills were missing from a container in her backpack, so she checked the footage to see who took them.
Deputies viewed the footage, which showed Gibbens looking through the backpack, removing the pill container and then replacing it before zipping the bag closed.
When confronted about the theft, Gibbens initially denied taking the medication. However, deputies said she later admitted to it after she learned that the incident had been recorded.
Gibbens later told investigators that she took the pills on multiple occasions beginning on August 31. She claimed she believed the pills were ibuprofen and Tylenol.
Deputies learned that Gibbens did not have a hydrocodone prescription.
Despite catching her in the act, the coworker declined to pursue a theft charge against Gibbens.
Deputies obtained the arrest warrant for Gibbens on Tuesday, and the sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit worked with the Ormond Beach police to arrest the defendant later that day.
“Teachers are trusted to set the example as they should be role models for their students. Sneaking into a co-worker’s backpack, stealing medicine she didn’t have a prescription for, then lying about it severely breaks that trust,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement.
Following Gibbens’ arrest, Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore said the district will cooperate with authorities amid the investigation.
“One individual’s poor choice is in no way a reflection of the amazing employees across our district,” Moore said.
Gibbens was taken into custody at Volusia County Branch Jail and has since been released on a $2,500 bond.
It’s not currently clear if Gibbens has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office had no additional updates to share when contacted by Us about the case.
