Kindergarten Teacher Beer: 40-Year-Old Teacher Arrested For Drinking Beer In Her Classroom

A kindergarten teacher was allegedly drinking beer in the classroom, and was arrested as a result. According to Mail Online, Jennifer Rich, 40, was arrested Friday after police were called to the school. At least one person (believed to be a parent) saw Rich holding a can of beer before authorities were called. Not only did police find evidence of alcohol in the classroom (there were two empty beer cans, and a few full ones), but when they gave Rich a breath test, she failed.

“Rich had bloodshot and watery eyes as she spoke to police,” read the official release.

The kindergarten teacher accused of drinking beer in the classroom was placed on administrative leave, but decided to resign shortly after. She had been a teacher at East Elementary School since 2001. It’s unknown if she caused any other problems over the years.

The school maintains that the administration had no clue about what was going on inside Rich’s classroom. Principal Julianne Taylor has made personal phone calls to the parents of students who were in Rich’s class. A substitute teacher has already been hired, and will be Rich’s replacement for the remainder of the school year.

“We are not aware that any students were put in any kind of unsafe situation or that really students had questions at all. Our principal did take this weekend and call every parent at East to assure them that their student had been safe at all times,” said Ankeny Schools Chief Human Resources Officer Jenifer Owenson.

Police say that Rich was not being held in police custody, but she is facing public intoxication and child endangerment charges, according to the Huffington Post.

A kindergarten teacher drinking beer in the classroom might not be as bad as a teacher giving “beer” to her students. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, a teacher in Michigan was accused of giving her fifth grade students O’Doul’s, which is non-alcoholic. According to the school’s superintendent, a student brought in a can, and the teacher allowed the whole class to try some as part of a “history lesson.”

The teacher was not reprimanded for her actions as the school’s administration believes that she made an “honest mistake.” At the time of the incident, no parents had made formal complaints either. Do you think that teacher should have gotten in trouble? Should she have lost her job? Sound off in the comments below.

[Photo courtesy of Pix11 News / Twitter]