Woman charged in teens' drunk-driving deaths was a substitute teacher at their district

A North Carolina woman charged in an ATV crash that killed two teenage boys previously worked as a substitute teacher at the victims' school district, a district spokeswoman said Monday.

Ashley Marie Darity, 34, was arrested on Feb. 13 on two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Transylvania County teenagers Layne Jones and Jayden Reynald, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The boys were driving a 2015 Polaris Sportsman on Aug. 25, when they ran off the road and hit a tree while navigating a curve. Though state highway patrol initially cited excessive speed as the cause of the crash, investigators now say that alcohol is factor.

Layne and Jayden were both students and football players at Rosman High School, part of the Transylvania County Schools District. Darity was previously employed as a substitute teacher at the boys' school district between October 2021 and December 2023, Transylvania County Schools spokesperson Tessa Brown confirmed to Paste BN on Monday.

The Rosman resident is accused of providing the teens with alcohol, the Transylvania Times reported. Court records show her bail was set at $20,000.

"We welcome the opportunity to tell the whole story," Darity's attorney, Sean Devereux, told Paste BN over the phone on Monday. Devereux said he could not comment further on the case.

Two others also arrested in hosting underage drinking party

North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement officers have also arrested Balsam Grove residents Brandon Kaine Rathbone, 47, and Patricia Faye Whitehead, 33. Both are charged with aiding and abetting the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages to a person under 21. Their bail was set for $500.

They were arrested in connection with the investigation into the crash but authorities haven't provided more specifics. Rathbone's date of offense is listed as June 10, 2023 and Whitehead's as Feb. 14, 2023, both over a year before the crash.

An arrest warrant for Rathbone says that the two hosted an underage house party where they allegedly provided a 15-year-old with a malt beverage. They also "held the juvenile up to assist (them) in doing a keg stand," a drinking game where someone does a headstand while consuming alcohol.

Paste BN was working to find the attorneys representing Rathbone and Whitehead.

Community reels from 'unimaginable loss'

In an Aug. 25 statement, Superintendent Lisa Fletcher called the crash a "devastating accident" that struck the community with an "unimaginable loss."

"The loss of such young, vibrant lives is a stark reminder of how precious life is and how deeply we are all connected," Fletcher wrote.

Following the tragedy the Rosman High School community held an "orange out" at an Aug. 30 home football game against North Henderson, where fans wore orange to show unity and support, according to the Hendersonville Times-News, part of the Paste BN Network.

Contributing: Saleen Martin