GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say an English teacher in Gaston County was arrested after she gave prescription drugs to a student to sell and they split the money.

Investigators say 31-year-old Meredith Pruitt faces several drug charges.

Authorities say Pruitt gave a student four anti-anxiety pills to a 15-year-old student, who sold them to other students and brought some of the money back to Pruitt.

School officials say they received a tip Thursday and immediately began investigating. Pruitt was fired that day. She had been teaching ninth-grade English at Forestview High School for nearly two years.

A message left for Pruitt was not returned Saturday. It wasn’t clear if she had a lawyer.

Authorities say their investigation into the incident continues.

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