An Elkhart substitute teacher charged with possessing a gun on school property in May has pleaded guilty and awaits her sentencing.
41-year-old Marissa Meyer had been the full-time building substitute teacher at Mary Beck Elementary when the incident happened. Prosecutors say Meyer had an unloaded handgun in her unzipped backpack, at her desk in the 2nd grade classroom.
Court records say Meyer told police her family had gone to a baseball game in South Bend over the weekend when they lost their car keys. In the process of temporarily leaving the car there, Meyer said she’d put the gun in a backpack and forgot about it when she brought the bag to work on Monday.
At the school that morning she realized what she’d done and told a co-worker, who told school officials, who called police.
Meyer spent a few days in jail until she could post the $5,000 bond, and prosecutors charged her with a Level 6 felony.
On Wednesday she filed her guilty plea. Prosecutors have agreed not to seek jail time and to let her argue to be sentenced as a misdemeanor, which typically avoids jail time.
Elkhart Circuit Judge Michael Christofeno is set to sentence her on Jan. 8.
Meyer did not respond to WVPE’s interview requests Thursday. On Facebook last week, she posted, “I wish we didn't lose the key. I wish we just left it in the car. I wish I checked my bag that morning. I wish I told someone different that would actually help me. I wish this nightmare was over.”
Elkhart Community Schools fired Meyer. In full disclosure, the corporation holds the broadcast license for WVPE.
