A former Lenoir County Public Schools “interventionist” has been charged with sex crimes involving a student under the age of 16 years old.

LINDSAY GARDNER

Lindsay Redford Gardner, age 32, was arrested on June 2 by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) on charges of taking indecent liberties with a student and disseminating sexual content to someone under 16 years old.

Gardner was released from custody after posting a secured bond, the amount of which was not indicated in communications by the LCSO.

LCSO announced on May 31 on Twitter that it had initiated an investigation after a resource officer supervisor for LCSO was notified on May 25 by school officials with Lenoir County Public Schools of an alleged inappropriate incident between an employee of South Lenoir High School and a student at that school.

A similar post was made to the LCSO Facebook page on June 1.

According to the LCSO’s June 2 update on Facebook, the N.C. State Crime Lab is assisting in the “processing of digital evidence.”

Garnder was employed with Lenoir schools as an “interventionist,” which is someone who works with students behind in classwork and can involve interventions with students exhibiting disruptive behavior.

According to the district, Gardner was not employed with Lenoir County Public Schools prior to her June 2 arrest.

A request for more information about her employment has been sent to the public information officer for the district. The communications officer for the district responded and confirmed her date of hire as Oct. 21, 2022, and her last date of employment as being May 25, 2023. At the time of her departure from the district, Gardner was making $30 an hour, per the district.

The communications officer for Lenoir County Public Schools indicated that Gardner did not resign.

When asked if the Department of Public Instruction or State Board of Education was notified about Gardner’s departure from the district, the communications officer said that “She was not a “certified” employee but a part-time “classified” employee, so state notification did not come into play.”

The communications official said Garnder was “Suspended without pay May 25 and terminated May 30, prior to her being charged but as a result of information that surfaced during the investigation.”

A teaching license for Gardner that expired in 2013 was located on file with the state in the area of Elementary Education (K-6).

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Garner entered into a plea agreement and was given 18 months probation.

12/12/2023
Offense Disposed
Court Officials Present: Title Name JUDGE WILLIAM P SHANAHAN STATE ATTORNEY JEFFREY MELVIN CANNON PRIVATELY RETAINED DAVID J FILLIPPELI DISPOSITION DATE: 12/12/2023 METHOD OF DISPOSITION CODE: JUDGE VERDICT RULING CODE: GUILTY PLEA TYPE: GUILTY OFFENSE CODE: 3805 OFFENSE CLASS: 1 PRIOR RECORD POINTS: 0 OTHER SPECIAL CONDITIONS: DEF IS TO ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL DURING THE PO PERIOD, DEF SHALL NOT HAVE ANY EMPLOYMENT THAT PLACES HER AROUND MINOR CHILDREN, OR PLACES THEM IN HER CARE. RPT FOR INTIAL EVAL BY FOR SEX OFFENDER TX; NOT ASSAULT, THREATEN, HARASS OR BE FOUND ON WORKPLACE OF JUSTIN EICHORN SENTENCE TYPE: INTERMEDIATE SENTENCE MINIMUM TERM: 45.0 DAYS IN CUSTODY OF: LENOIR COUNTY JAIL SHERIFF CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED TERM: 1.0 DAYS APPLY CREDIT TO: SENTENCE PAYMENT SCHEDULE: DETERMINED BY PROBATION OFFICER PRETRIAL JAIL DAYS SERVED TERM: 1.0 DAYS DRIVING SUSPENDED PRIVILEGES INDICATOR: N PROBATION TERM: 18.0 MONTHS PROBATION TYPE: SUPERVISED

The charges covered in the plea agreement included contributing to the delinquency of a minor, indecent liberties with a minor (times 2), and dissemination to minors under the age of 16.

The probation had conditions such as abstaining from alcohol use:

“DEF IS TO ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL DURING THE PO PERIOD, DEF SHALL NOT HAVE ANY EMPLOYMENT THAT PLACES HER AROUND MINOR CHILDREN, OR PLACES THEM IN HER CARE. RPT FOR INTIAL EVAL BY FOR SEX OFFENDER TX; NOT ASSAULT, THREATEN, HARASS OR BE FOUND ON WORKPLACE OF JUSTIN EICHORN.”

That probation was terminated in March 2025 and was violated at least once, per court records.