Newport News, Va. - A Newport News mom has been arrested and charged with overmedicating her son, police tell NewsChannel 3.
The arrest stems from a call at a Newport News elementary school on November 3, 2014.
Officers and medics were sent to the school to check on a 6-year-old Newport News boy, who was lethargic. Detectives and Child Protective Services became involved when it was determined that the child’s mother, 24-year-old Donqutta Johnson of the 2000 block of Chestnut Avenue in Newport News, had allegedly overmedicated her son with his prescribed medication, police say.
He was medically cleared and remains in the custody of his mother, NewsChannel 3 has learned.
Detectives obtained a warrant on January 15, 2015, after completing their criminal investigation. Johnson was then arrested at Newport News Police Headquarters on the same day, police say.
Johnson says she was told that she had to medicate her 6-year-old son, Roderick, because he was too hyper for class.
“I was told that if I didn’t give it to him, I would have to go to jail,” said Johnson.
In November, Johnson was called to the hospital after school officials say Roderick was acing lethargic. There, it was discovered that he had a higher dosage of Adderall in his system than what was on file at the school. A change Johnson said was made by the doctor, but not recorded by school employees.
“Their stories conflicted. Our notes only have 5 milligrams but the doctor has 15 and with that not documented because of one of the worker being fired because she wasn`t doing her job,” explained Johnson.
The miscommunication is what Johnson said got her in trouble.
“I made the news for trying to protect my child because I don’t think he should be medicated just to learn when the medication is causing him not to learn.”
Donqutta has a February court date, but in the meantime has stopped medicating Roderick.
The Newport News School System says they could not comment on the case but say they only alert authorities when they believe a child’s well-being is at stake.
