Georgia Kindergarten Teacher Caught With Gun In Classroom, Fails Sobriety Test


Melanie Bullard, a kindergarten teacher at a Dallas, Georgia, elementary school, was caught with a loaded gun in her purse and alcohol on her breath inside of her classroom. Bullard, 39, was arrested after Shelton Elementary School administrators called in a deputy to investigate the situation, which left parents in a state of shock.

A co-worker of the kindergarten teacher detected the scent of booze on Melanie Bullard and shared the suspicions with Shelton Elementary School officials, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. A school resource officer from the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant Ashley Henson, revealed Bullard tested positive for alcohol when tested on school grounds after being removed from the kindergarten classroom.

When Melanie Bullard’s possessions and classroom were searched for any open containers of alcohol, the loaded handgun was found. The teacher’s purse containing the loaded gun was found on the floor under her desk.

“Per their policy, an additional evaluation was conducted a short time later which also resulted in a positive outcome,” Sergeant Henson said when referencing the sobriety testing done to determine whether the kindergarten teacher had alcohol in her system while supervising a class of young children, according to a West Georgia Neighbor report.

Shelton Elementary School administrators sent a letter home to parents alerting them to what had occurred in the kindergarten classroom. The firearm found in Bullard’s purse was a semi-automatic handgun.

School district officials have so far refused to comment on the kindergarten teacher caught under the influence of alcohol with a loaded gun in the classroom. When asked by the media about Melanie Bullard’s current employment status in the wake of her arrest, they once again declined to make an official statement.

The Georgia school district’s personnel policy manual reportedly states any staffer who tests positive for alcohol on school grounds has two options open to them – going through medical treatment or resigning from their position. While a growing number of school districts do allow concealed carry by teachers and other staff members, none of the pro-Second Amendment policies designed enhance safety on their respective campuses, permit anyone to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol – mirroring the laws all gun owners must follow.

A special meeting of the Paulding County School Board has been called for April 11. The agenda reportedly states the special meeting is to discuss personnel issues and makes no specific reference to Melanie Bullard. During April and May, school boards often meet for the hiring of substitutes, coaches, and new teachers for the next school year, but rarely do those matters prompt the scheduling of special session meetings of the educational governing board.

Bullard is still listed as a teacher on the Shelton Elementary School website, but no photos or teacher biography details, or other links referencing classroom happenings, reveal any information when clicked upon. The Georgia elementary school just completed a massive renovation, which included the addition of 40 extra classrooms and a new student cafeteria. The main building of the Paulding County elementary school was renovated in 2015. Approximately 28,000 students attend the district, which employs about 1,212 teachers, administrators, and support staff.

Melanie Bullard was removed from her kindergarten classroom and taken directly to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center after the loaded gun was found and she failed the sobriety tests. The Georgia kindergarten teacher is currently being held without bail on weapons possession on school grounds charges and reckless conduct, the Daily Mail reports. Both of the charges are misdemeanors under Georgia state law.

What do you think about the kindergarten teacher getting caught under the influence of alcohol with a gun in her purse while teaching public school children?

[Featured Image by J2R/Shutterstock]

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