A teaching assistant at an elementary school, linked to a former Rhode Island lawmaker, is under investigation for allegedly leaving a bag of cocaine in the school’s health room bathroom.
Stephanie Cicilline-Given, 58, was arrested on March 12 after police traced the drugs back to her at Chester W. Burroughs Elementary School, where she works. A police report indicated this information came from local news sources.
Interestingly, Cicilline-Given is the sister of David Cicilline, a former Democratic Congressman, as pointed out by another news outlet.
The incident began when the school nurse found a plastic bag with cocaine and a plastic straw, commonly used for snorting, and handed it to the principal, who subsequently contacted the Cranston Police Department.
Police investigations focused on Cicilline-Given, as she was the last adult to use the restroom before students returned from morning recess.
Curiously, she seemed to mistakenly think the police had found her misplaced e-cigarette.
Upon learning that the officers had indeed discovered cocaine, she inquired about the necessity of a lawyer but avoided any direct admission of guilt before the police could formally accuse her.
Throughout the questioning, she repeatedly brought up e-cigarettes, insisting she had no knowledge of the cocaine. But after speaking with her co-workers, she seemed to contemplate a scenario: “What if I told them the cocaine was mine? What would happen next?”
As per the report, she later claimed she was merely using the substance occasionally outside of school and insisted she didn’t leave it behind. She mentioned a wallet switch that morning which might explain the missing e-cigarette, expressing concern about getting fired.
When pressed for details about the bag, Cicilline-Given began laughing, which might seem odd.
According to investigators, it’s believed that the cocaine slipped from her bag while she was applying makeup in the bathroom.
Ultimately, she indicated to police that she wanted legal counsel. She was charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine and taken to the Cranston Police Department, per various reports.
Her court date is set for April 21.
This isn’t the first time her family has faced scrutiny. Back in 2018, her sister, former Rhode Island City Council member Susan Cicilline-Buonanno, appeared on a live TV program after being pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence, although she was released when officers found she was “medicated.”
