An elementary school teacher in Oklahoma was arrested on the first day of school last week for allegedly teaching while under the influence of alcohol, according to authorities.
Kimberly Coates, 53, was confronted by school resource officer Shane Dean and Perkins-Tryon School Superintendent Doug Ogle after they suspected she was intoxicated, the City of Perkins said in a statement.
Bodycam footage obtained by Fox News Digital from the Perkins Police Department showed Coates interacting with Ogle and local law enforcement. Ogle mentioned to Coates that something seemed off and that she didn't appear to be the same person he had spoken to earlier that morning.
Coates claimed that she had taken anxiety medication the night before but couldn't recall the name of the medication. She agreed to take a breath test, which revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .24, three times the legal limit of .08, officials said.
"That's not just one drink and you're there," said Perkins Police Sgt. Spencer Gedon. "That's several drinks."
In the bodycam video, Coates later admitted to drinking the night before and while on her way to work that morning. When Ogle returned from Coates' classroom with her bag, he placed an empty blue plastic cup on the table, which allegedly smelled of alcohol.
"No more games, right?" Ogle asked the teacher. "What is in that?"
"My juice," Coates replied.
Ogle then asked the school resource officer to smell the cup, who confirmed that it contained wine. Coates, however, claimed that she had used the cup the previous day. She mentioned to the officer that she had been in counseling but that it hadn't helped with her drinking.
After Coates refused to call someone to pick her up from the school, law enforcement arrested her and escorted her out of the building. She was taken to the Payne County Jail and is expected to be charged with public intoxication.
The school district released a statement to parents, stating that due to the incident being a "personnel issue," they are unable to provide further information at this time.
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