Deputies: Iredell County Substitute Teacher Found With Marijuana and Alcohol

STATESVILLE, N.C. — A substitute teacher has been arrested after deputies say he was found with alcohol and marijuana in his possession.

The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office says staff members at the Third Creek Middle School notified the School Resource Officer about a strong odor of marijuana coming from a classroom. While investigating, the deputy noticed the smell coming from an area near the teacher’s desk. The deputy asked 30-year-old Thobani Viki about the smell and Viki told the deputy about the marijuana. During a search, authorities found marijuana, cigars and four cans of Twisted Ice Tea.

School officials say Viki is not an Iredell-Statesville School System employee and was serving as a substitute teacher. He is employed with Educational Staffing School, which contracts to fill positions within the district.

Viki was arrested at the school and taken to the Iredell County Detention Center. He is charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuna, misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and misdemeanor possession of a malt beverage on school property. He was given a $10,000 secured bond. Authorities say Viki is currently on probation for DWI out of Alamance County.

The Iredell-County School District sent us this statement regarding the incident:

“Thobani Viki served as a substitute teacher for 13 days at Third Creek Middle School. Viki was hired in March 2023 by Education Staffing Solutions (ESS), a company Iredell-Statesville Schools contracted with in February 2021 to manage and staff substitutes. Due to this incident, Iredell-Statesville Schools is reviewing the safety process and procedures taken by ESS before an employee is cleared to be in our buildings. Iredell-Statesville Schools is committed to keeping the safety of our students and staff as a top priority.”