Arizona Math teacher cited for drinking in class: Report

By Staff Reporter - 15 Aug '14 13:28PM

A math teacher in Arizona had been out drinking the whole night when she realized it was too late to go home so she decided to take a cab to work. Upon arriving drunk at work, she continued drinking in class while cursing at the students. Finally, one of the students alerted administrators, authorities said on Thursday.

Kathleen Jardine, 57, a teacher at Poston Butte High School faces one count of public consumption of alcohol stemming from the incident on Wednesday, said Sergeant Pat Ramirez, a spokesman for the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, KTVK-TV reported.

Pinal County Sheriff's deputies who administered a breath test said the woman blew .205. The state legal limit for driving is .08.

"Learning math can be hard enough. I can't imagine trying to learn it from a drunk teacher," said Sheriff Paul Babeu, according to the station.

A school security officer found a fifth of Fleischmann's vodka, a small bottle of Zinfandel and a container of SunnyD orange drink in Jardine's classroom, the sheriff said.

After receiving her citation, the 57-year-old was released to her daughter.

Florence Unified School District spokesman Richard Franco said Thursday school officials could not comment on personnel issues and because of a pending criminal investigation.

This was apparently not the first time that it had happened. The sheriff said Jardine had been fired in 2011 from another school for being drunk in class.