CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Authorities have launched an investigation into the possible theft of a student’s Adderall at Unioto Middle School, a development that follows a Guardian exclusive last Friday.
As first reported by the Guardian, a stash of powerful drugs allegedly vanished from the high school under murky circumstances, raising alarms about oversight by non-medical staff. Now, a sheriff’s report obtained Monday sheds light on a related case at the district’s middle school, where a parent alleges approximately 24 Adderall pills from her daughter’s prescription are unaccounted for.
The incident went unreported for days to law enforcement until the mother of an affected child notified deputies.
Deputies opened the investigation after the parent reported the issue on April 2. The parent told deputies she supplied 60 Adderall pills to the middle school on January 30 for her daughter’s daily use. She was notified March 28 that the medication was nearly gone, despite weekends and holidays suggesting it should have lasted longer. The school was also using an older prescription for a dose increase, which further complicates the count, the report said.
The parent noted that her son, at a district elementary school, still had medication from an identical supply, where pill counts are routine—unlike at the middle school. The case has been handed to the Ross County Sheriff’s investigations unit.
Friday’s Guardian report highlighted a district-wide program where non-medical staff manage controlled substances, sparking outrage over lax controls. The sheriff’s office, led by George Lavender—whose wife serves on the Union Scioto school board—omitted the high school incident from its daily media logs, fueling speculation.
Sheriff’s officials declined further comment, citing the active investigation. Unioto School District, now represented by a law firm, released a brief statement on social media, only after the news media reported the missing drugs.
“We were recently made aware of an incident where limited quantities of legally prescribed student medications went missing from our middle school clinic. An investigation was conducted, and both law enforcement and the affected families were informed. To prevent this from happening again, we are introducing new medication management procedures, installing more secure storage cabinets, and implementing new security measures. Thank you,” the statement read.