An elementary school teacher in Oklahoma is under investigation after she was allegedly drunk in her classroom on the first day of school August 17. Kimberly Coates, 53, was arrested at Perkins-Tryon Intermediate School, where she was employed as a third-grade teacher. The woman was reportedly acting strangely, which caused concern among school community members.
Superintendent Douglas Ogle told school resource officer Shane Dean that he thought Coates was intoxicated, the Stillwater News Press reported. Dean agreed with Ogle’s suspicion and began an investigation. Police recorded the interview with Coates on the bodycam, where she admits she is a drinker and imbibed in alcohol the night before. A breathalyzer apparently proved just how drunk she was.
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Coates reportedly made it almost through the first day before concerns arose.
The City of Perkins released a statement on Facebook outlining the situation. The city stated that Dean spoke with Coates toward the end of the day around 3:20 p.m. and “confirmed that Ms. Coates was indeed under the influence of alcohol.”
The teacher took a breathalyzer test that showed a blood alcohol concentration of .24, three times the legal limit of .08, the release noted.
Police spoke to Coates during a recorded interview.
“I noticed Kimberly had red, watery eyes and a thick, slurred speech. Kimberly had a hard time completing sentences,” Dean wrote in the police report obtained by Stillwater News Press.
Videos circulating online shows Coates, who appears impaired, speaking with Dean, Ogle, and Donna Boles, principal of the intermediate school, in a conference room at school. She first tells them that she had taken anxiety medication the night before, then corrects herself, says it was that morning, and then admits to drinking the night before. She denies alcohol use at school.
Coates blows into the breathalyzer, and things change.
The bodycam footage shows the officer preparing the breathalyzer test and Coates asking what would happen. Boles says to her, “Well, I’m just going to be honest, Kimberly. I’m concerned about you have responsibility to take care of the kids, and it’s not going to be my decision.”
Coates agrees to take the test and proceeds to blow into the device. The number seemingly alarms Dean, who shows the reading to Ogle and then asks Coates to be honest about whether she had alcohol that day. She contends that she drank the night before but not that day.
“I didn’t drink at school,” she claims.
The interview continues with a teary-eyed, apologetic teacher.
Coates performs other sobriety tests and seemingly fails them. At one point, Ogle comes back into the room with a cup allegedly belonging to Coates that she claims was juice, but it reportedly smelled like wine. The disgraced teacher cries and apologizes as she appears to understand she is about to be arrested. She wonders if she will lose her job.
“I know I’ve been having a hard time – am I going to get fired?” she asks.
The superintendent says, “Honestly, yes – or you can resign. You’re under the influence at school with kids.”
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Dean tells Coates, ‘It is over.’
As the video footage continues, the officer tells Coates he will arrest her as she begs to call someone to pick her up. He firmly tells her it’s “too late.”
Dean tries to put handcuffs around Coates’ wrists as she says, “I don’t want to.” He finally cuffs her as she cries and is led out of the school into a patrol car.
“Ms. Coates was placed under arrest and transported to the Payne County Jail on the anticipated District Court charge of Public Intoxication,” a statement from the city read.
