Special Education Teacher Charged After Allegedly Drinking Hard Seltzer at School

Vista Education Campus in Farmington, Utah. (Photo: Google Maps)

A former Davis School District special education teacher has been charged with possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages at school or school-sponsored activities after allegedly consuming alcohol and appearing intoxicated while on duty at a Utah school, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The incident occurred Feb. 9 at the Vista Education Campus in Farmington, which serves students ages 18 to 22 with special education needs. District officials told police they were alerted after staff noticed the teacher speaking slowly, slurring words and appearing disoriented. She was also reported to have a smell of alcohol on her breath, according to a police report cited by the Salt Lake Tribune.

School administrators initiated an internal response and contacted Farmington police, which opened an investigation several days later. The teacher was removed from her classroom and placed on leave immediately, according to district spokesperson Christopher Williams.

According to the police report, a sobriety test was administered, and the teacher failed. She was later transported to a hospital, where a blood test allegedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.251%, roughly five times Utah’s legal driving limit of 0.05%.

During the district’s internal investigation, the teacher admitted to consuming “hard seltzer in a stainless-steel tumbler,” Williams said, according to the Tribune report. She resigned the following day before the district completed its findings.

Police records also indicate that a student may have come into contact with the teacher’s tumbler after it was left unattended, though officials said it is not confirmed whether the student consumed any alcohol. The student involved has significant developmental disabilities, according to family statements included in the report.

On March 18, the Farmington city attorney’s office charged the teacher with possession or consumption of alcohol at a school or school-sponsored activity, a class B misdemeanor. She faces up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. An arraignment is scheduled for May 5.

District officials also reported the case to Adult Protective Services and the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission, which is conducting an open investigation.