Former LC teacher, mother of boy who tested positive for meth, takes plea agreement

A 32-year-old former Las Cruces elementary school teacher pled no contest Monday to abuse of a child, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Melanie Marolt-Floyd entered a plea agreement with the state.

Marolt-Floyd was arrested in May 2017 after investigators learned from Child Protective Services Marolt’s 7-year-old son tested positive for methamphetamine on April 7. Marolt-Floyd was a teacher at Sunrise Elementary.

She was granted a two-year conditional discharge with the condition she does not have any more drug-related offenses. Marolt-Floyd was facing five-and-a-half years in prison if convicted.

“I do take accountability for what happened,” Marolt-Floyd said to Judge Fernando Macias. “I know that I never intended to get addicted to drugs or for it to hurt as many people as it did.”

The father of her two children, Randy Floyd, spoke to what he called the harmful effects the crime had on his children.

“The effects of this is going to be everlasting on them,” Floyd said. “I have to live with that everyday. I look at their faces and see how hurt they are. I don’t know why their mom chose to do what she did without complete disregard for them.”

ABC-7 has learned Marolt-Floyd is in rehab in Colorado and her contract with the Las Cruces Public Schools District was not renewed for the 2017-18 school year.

The former teacher told a judge a doctor prescribed her Oxycontin for a back injury, she quickly grew addicted to the opiods and eventually turned to drugs like heroin and meth.

Marolt-Floyd’s defense attorney said she was prescribed oxycontin for a back injury, and the mother subsequently became addicted, turning to heroin and other drugs.

The former teacher insisted she was sober and intended to re-gain custody of her two children.

“I’m taking responsibility and I feel that I’m a stronger person because I can – I can do so much more without having to depend on a drug or some kind of a substance,” Marolt-Floyd said, “I never intended to get addicted to drugs or for it to hurt as many people as it did, and especially, my kids, family and society.”

The mother, who had “half custody” of her children, said she has not been able to care for her children. She told the judge her ultimate goal is to regain custody.

Randy Floyd, the father of the former teacher’s children, also address the courtroom. “The effects of this is going to be everlasting on them. I have to live with that everyday. I look at their faces and see how hurt they are. I don’t know why their mom chose to do what she did with complete disregard for them,” he said.

In May, ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom obtained a letter Sunrise Elementary Principal Dora Solis mailed to parents of Sunrise students.

“I am writing to inform you of a situation that is both surprising and concerning to the school staff. We have just recently learned one of our teachers was arrested for alleged child abuse, possession of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia,” Solis states, “Of course, we were shocked to hear of this news. As of today, the teacher has not returned to work.”