Cops: Calif Teacher Drunk at School

(AP)  A Southern California school teacher has been arrested for allegedly teaching while drunk.

Toro Canyon Middle School teacher Tonya Neff was taken to the Indio jail Tuesday afternoon and booked for investigation of felony child endangerment.

Administrators at Thermal's Toro Canyon Middle School told the Riverside County Sheriff's Department that the 47-year-old teacher was apparently intoxicated on campus.

Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Tapp says Neff had taken prescription drugs and alcohol and an alcoholic beverage was found inside a container.

Coachella Valley school district Superintendent Ricardo Medina says there was never a threat to Neff's seventh-grade students. Neff has been placed on leave.

[loveneff]

I went to Guilford High School as well, personally Ms. Neff has and always will be my favorite teacher. I hope she's doing well and truly missed her after she left!

[fatnugs420]

She used to teach at Guilford high School in CT. She went on "a leave of absence" 2 years ago when i was a junior there and she never came back. there were always rumors of her being drunk in class and kids finding her coke. I never believed it but wow... thats pretty messed up.

[penrod59]

Obviously this woman has an addiction; there was absolutely no need to arrest her. She should have been immediately suspended, and maybe fired, depending on how her employer's policy on substance abuse is administered. This does not seem like a truly "dangerous" situation to me. I am no bleeding heart liberal; I voted for Reagan/Bush/Bush/Bush/Bush/McCain (held my nose for that last liberal appeaser). I don't like teachers' unions, but arresting her is ridiculous and will accomplish nothing, besides further ruining her life.

[mjname]

Yes she may have an addiction but just like driving drunk it is against the law. She obviously needs therapy and treatment, however she did endanger the welfare of the students that were in trusted to her care by impairing her judgment with a controlled substance.

[start99]

Lower Education..I would hug her and thats all!!

[craigh9]

While it doesn't say it here she is suspended "WITH" pay which just galls me. These incidents with teachers are rising rapidly and they continue to receive all pay and all benefits until a formal outcome is reached. In NY where I'm from a teacher was charged with molesting a half dozen boys in kindergarten and said right from the start he did it - then he gets a lawyer who drags out the process for more than 18 months and this CHILD MOLESTER continued to receive full pay and benefits along the way AND used the threat of forcing these children to testify in open court as the tool to drag it out so long. WHAT MAKES TEACHERS SO SPECIAL? If you need to be suspended it should be WITHOUT PAY. If it the investigation results in your return to work then BACK PAY should be provided - if you are fired then no money changes hands. That's how it works in the real world.

[GottaLuvItt]

Maybe she needed to be somewhat sedated to deal with the little darlings...

[hateisafourletterword]

She just needs some love, understanding and counseling. The union thinks she should get a raise.