High school teacher, student face drug charges

Florence Morning News, SC

A West Florence High School teacher is charged with keeping a bag of marijuana taken from a student, Florence County Sheriff’s Capt. Todd Tucker said.

Paul Crompton, 28, a math teacher and assistant football coach, was charged Wednesday with a first offense of marijuana possession.

Crompton helped another teacher who was struggling to confiscate two bags of marijuana from a student, 17-year-old Joshua Jermaine Johnson, who faces charges of marijuana possession and simple assault, Tucker said.

Crompton confiscated one bag, and another student persuaded Crompton to take the other bag so Johnson would face less trouble, Tucker said.

Crompton gave the resource officer one bag of marijuana, but the other teacher told the officer Johnson had two bags, Tucker said. When the officer threatened to bring in drug-sniffing dogs, Crompton said he had the other bag, which the officer seized, Tucker said.

Crompton turned himself in to authorities Wednesday morning, Tucker said. The student who gave the bag to Crompton also was charged with marijuana possession, but he was given a courtesy summons and wasn’t arrested, Tucker said.