A Whanganui teacher brought methamphetamine to school in a sunglasses case and smoked the drug on school grounds, the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal found.
She was only found out when she left the glasses case in a bathroom used by staff and special needs students.
The tribunal's decision, released today, stated that Kirk had been charged with serious misconduct and had her teaching license cancelled after a hearing in which her involvement was described as "sporadic".
While Kirk is not under name suppression, the school she was employed at is, along with staff members who provided evidence.
Multiple staff members observed Kirk’s "out of character and at times erratic behaviour" following the first Covid-19 lockdown.
The teacher was often seen cleaning her children’s tote trays outside her classroom at 6am.
One described her as appearing to be "on something", and "up one minute and then down the next".
Another observed "noticeably inconsistent" behaviour that changed throughout the day.
A newly employed teacher aide found a sunglasses case belonging to Kirk that contained zip lock bags with white powder in them and a glass pipe.
They did not report the incident at the time due to fears of potential repercussions.
This was not the last time that Kirk’s stash would be found by a staff member.
On September 22, 2020, a sunglasses case was found in a staff bathroom also used by teacher aides and special needs students.
Kirk was seen to have been heading toward the bathroom beforehand.
The Acting Principal brought the case to a police officer, who confirmed that it contained a glass pipe used to consume methamphetamine and three "straws" used to scoop methamphetamine.
Whilst this was happening, Kirk was seen coming into the staff room three times, acting as if she was "looking for something" and appearing stressed.
The school’s principal met with each staff member to ask about the glasses case and its contents.
Kirk said that it wasn’t hers and that she didn’t know anything about it.
Police attended the school on this day, seized the glasses case and its contents and carried out staff property searches.
A lighter was found in Kirk’s jacket, despite various staff noting she was not a smoker.
Shortly after, the principal advised the staff that it was a serious offence and that an investigation would occur, Kirk arrived unannounced at the principal’s office.
"She came and sat down and said, 'I hope you don't think it was me'," the principal told the tribunal.
"I said it didn't matter what I thought as there was an investigation underway. I saw that her eyes were bloodshot and red around the rims."
Police ordered all staff at the school to undertake a drug test as part of the investigation.
Kirk was the only one to abstain, stating she would like to speak to a NZEI representative before agreeing. She never consented and was never tested.
A mandatory report was filed by the school with the Teaching Council three days later.
Kirk admitted that the glass pipe came from her bag in a police interview on 4 December 2020, but claimed that she was holding the pipe for someone else and that it had fallen out of her bag.
"I absolutely did not, have not and would not use any drug while at my workplace or around any children ever," she said.
In a letter written to the Tribunal, Kirk wrote that she had used methamphetamine during lockdown and had a couple of weekends when school resumed where she smoked marijuana and meth.
Tribunal Deputy Chair Tim Mackenzie did not accept that the pipe was accidentally brought to school.
"The glasses case was found resting on a stool under a sink, making it quite improbable that it fell from a backpack and somehow ended up there."
The Tribunal came to the "inescapable conclusion" that it is "highly likely" Kirk consumed methamphetamine on school grounds on several occasions and certainly did on the day of the charged incident.
"The conduct clearly adversely reflects on Ms Kirk’s fitness to be a teacher."
Kirk had her teaching license cancelled and was ordered to pay $5478 to cover the cost of proceedings.
"It is always a very sad day when a teacher's career is ruined by their actions in falling under the influence of a drug such as methamphetamine," said Mackenzie.
"We do hope that Ms Kirk reads this decision and has or will take steps to distance herself from methamphetamine and redeem herself."
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