Marijuana charges dropped against two former Fitzgerald school officials
Marijuana charges have been dismissed against two former school officials in Southeast Michigan who were arrested last December.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido made that announcement Monday in the cases against former Fitzgerald Public Schools superintendent Hollie Lyn Stange and former Fitzgerald Public Schools food services director Amanda Gail Carroll.
Charges of operating while intoxicated that were filed against both women were previously dismissed.
Given the circumstances, Monday's development drops all charges against Carroll, Lucido said.
Stange is still charged with possessing a weapon in a weapons-free zone. A pretrial is scheduled for Oct. 16 on that charge, which is a 93-day misdemeanor.
The prosecutor's announcement comes in the aftermath of a hearing Sept. 4 on whether the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, which prohibits possession of marijuana in a school zone, overrides Michigan's Public Health Code, which prohibits possession of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school zone.
Judge John Chmura of 37th District Court in Warren decided that the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act takes precedence, and the 1,000-foot rule could not be applied, the prosecutor said. With that, the marijuana charges against both women were dismissed as a matter of law.
Lucido said his office is reviewing the district court ruling to decide whether to pursue an appeal.
"It is deeply concerning that, in legalizing marijuana, the legislature also eliminated the safeguard that prohibited its use near school zones. Perhaps that was not their intent, but it is the effect," Lucido said. "We should not encourage the use of drugs—even legal ones—near our schools or around children. The legislature should revisit both MRTMA and the Health Code and amend MRTMA to restore the 1,000-foot rule, ensuring that this important protection is once again part of the law."
The investigation began in December 2024, when both women were accused of smoking marijuana in a vehicle near Fitzgerald High School. They drove away separately, and traffic stops ensued. The accusations at the time included that a handgun was found in one of the two vehicles.
The Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education voted to place both of them on leave, pending an internal review and the results of the investigation. Stange later submitted her resignation, according to an announcement from the school district. Elizabeth Jensen is now the superintendent.
Olgert "Gary" Nazarko is now listed on the school district's site as the food service director.
Fitzgerald Public Schools is based in Warren and represents five schools, including three elementary schools and Fitzgerald High School.