A principal of a prestigious high school was found in a motel room with drugs scattered throughout the whole room and a passed-out woman less than half his age Friday night.
The California sherriff's department found Thomas Price, 54, after a call tipped them that the man looked like he was about to either drug Brittney Hall, 21, or the two were about to do drugs together, reports SF Gate.
The caller identified himself as Hall's boyfriend.
When police arrived at the motel Price answered the door and they were able to see past him into the room where Hall was passed out on the bed.
Price, who is a husband and father, referred to Hall as a "casual hookup" to police, according to Marinij.
"He initially told us she was fine and there was nothing to worry about," Sgt. Ramos explains to KTVU saying, "that clearly wasn't apparent to the officers due to the fact that she was unresponsive. They shouted her name several times from the doorway. That was unsuccessful."
The officers eventually entered the room and woke Hall up. Inside, they found drugs scattered all over the room.
"We're talking about a small motel room where almost everywhere the officers looked there was some evidence of either drugs or drug paraphernalia," Ramos tells KTVU, "including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, as well as some prescription drugs."
There were so many drugs in the room that Hall and Price were arrested on charges of intent to sell, as well as possession of narcotics and possession of methamphetamine.
The next day [Saturday] Price was released on $75,000 bail. By Monday, Price resigned as principal from Branson School, where students pay an annual tuition of $39,475.
A letter from the Board Chair sent to families confirmed the resignation.
"Dr. Price is not on campus and has tendered his resignation," reads part of the letter. "We are deeply troubled by these developments."
