A Charlotte, North Carolina, school therapist is facing serious charges. The woman, Cheryl Harris Gates, was arrested after she allegedly attempted to poison her husband’s beverage. Details about the couple’s relationship are still emerging, but Gates was arrested on other charges that are also concerning, including stalking. It would lead one to believe they’re estranged, which has not been confirmed. Many parents at the school where Gates works with children have expressed concerns about her employment, given what she is accused of doing.
On October 10, 2025, Gates, 43, was arrested and accused by authorities of attempted murder, WCNC reported. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said its domestic violence unit launched an investigation to learn more about an alleged plot Gates hatched to poison someone.
According to an arrest warrant, the woman put prescription medicine into a man’s Celsius energy drink “with the intention of causing a black out condition or incapacitation,” WBTV reported. An affidavit showed Gates was married to the man she tried to poison. She allegedly then used ChatGPT to “research lethal and incapacitating drug combinations that could be ingested and injected.” Gates then reportedly purchased all of the supplies she’d need.
In a separate warrant, Gates was accused of stalking and injury to property. Allegedly, she also broke the man’s window and put a device on his car to track him, WBTV reported.
Arrest records show she was arrested on the stalking and injury to property charges on October 7 and later released from Mecklenburg County Jail. Her attempted murder charge and arrest followed three days later, per the news outlet. This time, she wasn’t released and was actually denied bond.
Altogether, Gates has been charged with attempted murder, stalking, damage to property, and contaminating food or drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless, WCNC reported. She was again denied bond on October 13. Her next court appearance is October 30, per WBTV.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools web page, WBTV noted, Gates works as a pediatric occupational therapist. Her work focuses on students with sensory processing challenges, handwriting difficulties, and executive functioning disorders. It is unknown if she is still employed.
Police confirmed the attempted murder didn’t happen on school property, nor did it involve staff or a student, but some parents still expressed concerns.
“It’s definitely surprising that somebody in that capacity that is there to help others would do something, that type of crime, especially,” Quemella Holland told WSOC-TV. Another concerned parent, Laurie Leebrick, added, “She never should have been around kids at all. They should have done better background checks.”
