Intoxicated teacher caught instructing second-graders after driving to work impaired – Law Officer

LIVE OAK, Calif. – Deputies in Northern California responded to an unusual call for service Monday morning at an elementary school in Sutter County regarding a second-grade teacher who was reportedly with students in her class after driving to work impaired, according to a report.

A staff member at Nuestro Elementary School in Live Oak contacted the Sutter County Sheriff’s Department to report the alleged intoxicated teacher. Deputies responded and saw the accused educator, identified as 57-year-old Wendy Munson, in the middle of providing instruction to her students when they removed her from class.

In addition to witnesses, the sheriff’s department also said there was footage of the teacher driving to school while under the influence, FOX 11 reported.

Deputies asked Munson to perform a series of field sobriety tests, to which she failed, according to their observations. She was arrested about 8:20 a.m. and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeding .08 — the presumed level of impairment — and child abuse with the possibility of great bodily injury, according to a Sutter County Sheriff’s Department press release.

Munson’s BAC was actually twice the legal limit nearly two hours after deputies first contacted her, the department noted. She was booked at the Sutter County Jail and her bond was set at $5,000.

Nuestro Elementary School District Superintendent Baljinder Dhillon said in a letter to parents that Munson had been escorted off campus and taken into custody without incident. The students did not witness the arrest, Dhillon confirmed, according to FOX 11.

“While we are limited in what we can share, as this is both a personnel matter and a matter being investigated by law enforcement, we can let you know that your 2nd graders will have a long-term substitute,” the letter read. “Our students’ safety and well-being remain our highest priority… We appreciate our staff for promptly reporting concerns to administration and appreciate the Sheriff’s Department for responding quickly with minimal disruption.”

Munson was scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday.

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