COVINGTON - The carpool line at Lyon Elementary was busy Monday afternoon.
It was also buzzing with word of one of the school's now-former teachers, Melissa Pattison, being arrested for allegedly having drugs and guns in her Lacombe home.
Pattison's bio on the Lyon Elementary website details almost 30 years in education, primarily teaching second or third grades.
"We've been here for three years, well five years actually," said parent Jules Centanni, "We had Pre-K and now in 3rd grade, my daughter is in 3rd grade. I had no idea."
"You're doing something illegal that you're teaching the little kids not to do," said parent Shermaine Richardson, "And you're doing the totally opposite. So you're pretending. That's just how I feel about it."
The St. Tammany Sheriff's Office says Pattison, along with six others including her son Caleb Pattison and suspected drug dealer Quinten Casnave, who was living at the home, were arrested Friday.
Detectives say a month-long investigation into activity at the home turned up Ecstacy, LSD, marijuana, Xanax and a suspected marijuana THC oil lab, as well as guns, in a search of the property.
The charges facing the group range from misdemeanor possession to felonies, including "Illegal use of CDS in presence of persons under 17" for four of them, one being Pattison.
Neighbors, who did not want to go on camera, say they feel bad about this happening because they feel like Pattison is such a nice person. However, they also said this was a long time coming because they did not want that kind of activity in this neighborhood."
Eyewitness News tried to get comment from Pattison, who we were told was home, but no one answered the door.
Parents say this leaves them wondering who they can really trust.
"It's the world we live in guys. It's not as clean and peaceful as we might think. Even the educated have difficulty," said Centanni.
According to jail records, of the seven suspects, the only one that remained behind bars Monday night was Casnave.