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Deputies: Teacher In Protective Custody After Drunk Appearance

Fred Bellet/The Tampa Tribune

Charles S. Rushe Middle School

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By HOWARD ALTMAN

haltman@tampatrib.com

Published: March 19, 2009

Updated: 03/19/2009 11:10 pm

A Pasco County middle school teacher was Baker Acted on Wednesday after she was intoxicated in school, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

The incident started at the Charles S. Rushe Middle School in Land O'Lakes at about 10:20 a.m., according to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report.

Teacher Kylene Nelson was being interviewed by school officials, who said they could "smell the odor commonly associated with alcohol coming from Kylene."

Nelson's speech was slurred, according to the report, and she was having trouble talking. Nelson told officials she was "two years sober and had not been drinking."

According to the report:

Nelson was taken to a facility the school uses to test for drugs and alcohol. A test showed Nelson had a blood alcohol content of .26. A BAC of .08 is considered intoxicated according to state law.

At 1:40 p.m., a school official reported over school radio that Nelson had run off campus and was headed north from the school. Supervisor of Employee Relations Bryan Jack chased her through a subdivision and ultimately found her by a recreation center pool.

Nelson told school officials that she had purchased a bottle of vodka and thought she drank the whole bottle.

Nelson was taken to a mental health facility in New Port Richey, where she was placed in protective custody under the state's Baker Act, which allows a person to be protected up to 72 hours.

Renalia DuBose, assistant superintendent for administration with the Pasco County School District, said no disciplinary decisions will be made until district officials can interview Nelson, as well as other teachers, security personnel, administrators and students at the Rushe school, which serves about 1,300 students in grades 6 through 8.

The district's school board will review the findings. Only the board can fire her.

Michelle Humphrey, a parent of a boy at Rushe, said Nelson should be fired. Her son is in a Nelson language arts class. She said she was worried about what he saw. He told her Nelson was dancing around the classroom, trying to get some of the boys to dance with her.

"I don't think she should be teaching anymore," Humphrey said.

Reporter Rich Shopes contributed to this report.

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