Education

Cops Say Iowa Kindergarten Teacher Was Crushing Beers IN CLASS

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Friday the 13th was very unlucky for Iowa kindergarten teacher Jennifer L. Rich.

Police arrested Rich, 40, after a concerned parent called in a tip that the teacher was drinking beer in class, The Des Moines Register reports.

The scene of the arrest was East Elementary School in Ankeny, a suburb of Des Moines.

The unidentified parent called police after allegedly seeing a beer can in Rich’s classroom while helping out with the always-stressful class Valentine’s Day party.

When police arrived, they found a bag in Rich’s classroom containing four full cans of beer and two empty brewski cans.

Police administered a preliminary blood test after taking the kindergarten teacher into custody. The test indicated the presence of alcohol. The cops also said Rich had bloodshot eyes.

East Elementary principal Julianne Taylor said she contacted kindergarten parents during the weekend to explain the uncomfortable situation.

“We thoroughly investigate any report that raises a concern about the conduct of a staff member,” Taylor promised, according to Cedar Rapids CBS affiliate KGAN. “Our students are our first priority.”

A long-term substitute will teach the class for the rest of the year.

Rich, who has taught with the Ankeny school district since 2001, tendered her resignation on Monday. The local school board accepted the resignation pretty much immediately.

The Ankeny police chief, Gary Mikulec, would not say what kind of beer cops found in the kindergarten classroom at East Elementary. He suggested, however, that the brand information will be contained in court filings.

Rich was released from police custody. It’s not clear what charges she will face.

Teachers show up drunk to work at America’s taxpayer-funded public schools with some frequency. In August, for example, a rural Oklahoma high school teacher allegedly showed up on her first day of work drunk and also wearing no pants. (RELATED: Back To School: High School Teacher Shows Up On First Day Drunk, WITHOUT PANTS)

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