Police say former Lincoln Co. teacher was drinking and driving with her child in car
A former Lincoln County High School teacher was arrested and charged with wanton endangerment after Stanford police say she was drinking alcohol and driving with her child in a vehicle.
Witnesses told police that they saw a heavily intoxicated Courtney Martin parked in the Lincoln Plaza shopping center parking lot on Tuesday night with her child in her car, a press release from Stanford Police Chief Zach Middleton said. Martin was allegedly also intoxicated while she congregated with students in the parking lot earlier that evening.
Martin, 34, was arrested Friday, just a day after she resigned from her position at the high school, Stanford Police told WKYT. Martin admitted to hanging out with the students and drinking with the child in the car, LEX18 reported.
During the course of their investigation, police also say they found allegations of sexual misconduct involving Martin and an 18-year-old Lincoln County student. That incident did not happen on school property or during any school related functions. No charges will be filed because of the age of the student.
Additional charges may follow, the police press release stated, relating to the distribution of alcohol to minors. Lincoln County, which is a dry county, is located just south of Danville.
“Our heart goes out to those affected by the events that resulted in the arrest of Courtney Martin,” Lincoln County superintendent Mike Rowe said in a statement. “Our primary concern is always for the safety and well-being of our students and the members of our school community.”
The statement also addressed the alleged sexual relationship.
“The Professional Code of Ethics for Kentucky Certified Personnel explicitly states a teacher shall not engage in any sexually related behavior with a student with or without consent,” Rowe said. “The Lincoln County School system maintains high standards for all our employees and these allegations stand in stark contrast to our expectations.”
Martin is being housed in the Lincoln County Jail on a $5,000 bond.