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Hickory police arrest Caldwell County kindergarten teacher for cocaine possession

Robert C. Reed | Hickory Daily Record

Happy Valley Elementary School kindergarten teacher Randall Dickens tries to avoid questions from local media as he leaves the Caldwell County Education Center in Lenoir on Wednesday afternoon.

By Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record

Published: September 9, 2009

LENOIR - Randall Shane Dickens, 33, of Lenoir, is a kindergarten teacher at Happy Valley Elementary School, where he's taught since 2002.

He was charged with felony possession of cocaine when Hickory police officers arrested him early Sunday.

Under state law, any teacher arrested for a felony is required to report that arrest to his or her supervisor, according to Crystal A. Davis, attorney for the Catawba County Board of Education.

Dickens did not report his arrest and taught his class Tuesday.

He was not at school Wednesday because he appeared in District Court in Newton for his first court appearance. He refused to comment on his charges and referred questions to his attorney, Ralph Yount, who was unavailable for comment.

Happy Valley Principal Andy Puhl learned of Dickens' arrest when area news media notified him of the situation Wednesday morning. He directed questions about the incident and how it's being addressed to Caldwell County Schools' Community Relations Director Libby Brown.

Brown said Hickory police informed the school district about Dickens' arrest Wednesday morning.

Melissa Curtis, 30, of Happy Valley, said she's got three children in the school. She wondered why the Hickory police didn't let the school know about the arrest earlier.

Dickens met with school officials at noon Wednesday.

"He has been suspended with pay pending further investigation," Brown said, adding that he will be terminated if he is found guilty of the charges against him.

"You can't be a convicted felon and teach," she said.

Dickens' run-in with the police happened at about 12:45 a.m. in a municipal parking lot at 76 N. Center St.

Officer Mike Crisp reported he saw Dickens at the wheel of a silver 2004 Toyota Matrix with a male companion in the front seat. When he approached the car, the men appeared nervous and "frantically reached for the center console," according to the police report. As Crisp approached the car, Dickens put the lid on a Wendy's drink cup.

Crisp asked what was in the cup and was told it contained Mountain Dew. When Crisp opened it, he saw a plastic bag containing half a gram of a white powder substance. He also reported that Dickens had white powder residue around his left nostril.

Dickens was arrested and held on a $3,000 secured bond.

The arrest sheet notes that Dickens had consumed drugs or alcohol at the time of his arrest and has pierced nipples.

Brown said the school board hired Dickens in August of 2000 and he transferred to Happy Valley from West Lenoir Elementary School in 2002.

Last year, Dickens taught fifth grade. This year, he became a kindergarten teacher.

Michelle Evans, 40, of Happy Valley, said Dickens taught her daughter when she was in fifth grade.
She doesn't have fond memories of him.

"He was arrogant," Evans said. "I know he was really rough on the kids — almost too strict on them."
She said she was surprised Dickens was arrested on drug charges and thinks he should have reported his arrest to the school.

"They need to know who's teaching those kids," Evans said. "I don't think he should be teaching — that's not something that should be in the schools."

Wanda Prince, 69, of Happy Valley, said she was a teacher for 32 years and expects teachers to be held to a higher standard.

She said she doesn't know Dickens personally, but if he's guilty of the charges against him, he's betrayed a vital trust.