Sending your sweet, innocent baby to kindergarten is a deeply emotional moment. On one hand, you’re so excited for them to go off on their own adventures, while on the other you struggle to let go. After all, the world is a weird and, at times, dark place. You impart a lot of trust on the teacher who takes your little one under their wing and ultimately have to believe that they are in safe, responsible hands. My son’s kindergarten teacher was truly a wonderful woman. She took time to read and respond to every message, flagged concerns, and ultimately made me feel like a teacher’s watchful and loving eye was always on him. I cannot imagine having a different experience, as that is exactly what every child and parent is entitled to.
Unfortunately, a classroom’s worth of parents in Wisconsin did not have that same experience. Kindergarten teacher Laurie Laubenstein, 58, was arrested and put on administrative leave from her school after someone found a “white powder” substance in her kindergarten bathroom, that ended up being cocaine, Law & Crime reported.
Laubenstein caught the attention of law enforcement after an anonymous tipster told a school resource officer at Lincoln Elementary School in New London about noticing “a change in the teacher’s behavior.” The tipster also reportedly found a white, powdery substance in Laubenstein’s classroom and bloodied tissues in her trash can, per Law & Crime. The tipster even flagged it to the principal but believed their concerns weren’t being taken seriously enough so escalated it to authorities. A second person came forward to the principal expressing similar concerns.
Police stated that the principal told the second person that “the children were not at risk” after the principal reportedly spoke with the kindergarten teacher.
According to Fox 11, the official criminal complaint stated that the teacher told investigators she was using the drug to “cope with a family issue.”
“Laubenstein admitted using a straw to snort the cocaine in the bathroom and admitted to using the bathroom in her kindergarten classroom as well as the bathroom that is in the teachers’ lounge,” the complaint reads. “Laubenstein admitted that she snorted the cocaine in the corner of the classroom bathroom on the counter where she stated ‘they used to change kids.'”
Powder found in various locations in the classroom all tested positive for cocaine, despite her statement that she always cleaned up after herself to never put any kids in danger.
“The School District of New London has been formally informed that Laurie Laubenstein, a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, has been charged in connection with an incident on February 12, 2026, involving possession of cocaine and possession of a controlled substance on or near district property,” a district spokesperson shared with Fox 11 in a statement. “Upon identification of this matter, Ms. Laubenstein was placed on immediate administrative leave, pending termination, in accordance with district policy and applicable law on February 12, 2026.”
Laubenstein was arrested and officially charged with possession of cocaine but was released from jail. Because she had it at a school, potentially She is set to appear in court on March 17, 2026.
Laubenstein, 58, was charged with one count of possession of cocaine. Because she was within 1,000 feet of a school, 100 community service hours will be added to any punishment if she’s found guilty, the criminal complaint shows, per Fox 11. An initial appearance is scheduled for March 17, court records show.
