Teacher charged with distributing drugs

A Libby High School teacher is facing

criminal charges after allegedly giving away drugs.

Mort Curtiss, 53, is charged with two

counts of felony distribution of dangerous drugs in Lincoln County

District Court.

Curtiss is an industrial arts teacher

at Libby High School.

According to court records, Curtiss

gave away Oxycontin pills and marijuana to an informant at the Elks

Lodge earlier this month.

On March 4, a Lincoln County Sheriff’s

deputy spoke with the informant who claimed that Curtiss had given

them Oxycontin pills. Curtiss allegedly said he was doing the

informant a favor and would not charge them for the pills.

The deputy met with the informant and

confirmed that the pills were Oxycontin.

Later that night, the informant was

allegedly contacted by Curtiss and asked to smoke marijuana. The

informant refused and met with Curtiss at a pickup truck outside

the Elks. Curtiss allegedly gave the informant marijuana.

The deputy observed the interaction and

later confirmed that Curtiss owned the pickup truck.

Curtiss was arrested last week and

released on $50,000 bond.

According to the Libby School District,

any employee who is arrested is placed on leave pending an

investigation by the district.