Pinal County teacher arrested for being drunk in classroom

PHOENIX — A Pinal County teacher was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of being drunk in the classroom, the sheriff’s office said.

Students told administrators at Poston Butte High School their teacher, 57-year-old Kathleen Jardine, was yelling at students and possibly intoxicated. She was removed from the classroom by the school resource officer.

A breathalyzer showed Jardine had a blood-alcohol content of .205. She admitted to drinking the previous evening, Wednesday morning and during school lunch.

The officer found a half-full bottle of vodka, an empty serving of wine and orange juice in her purse. Jardine admitted the alcohol was hers.

The legal limit to drive in Arizona is .08. Jardine said she was too drunk to drive and took a cab to work.

“Learning math can be hard enough, I can’t imagine trying to learn it from a drunk teacher,” said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu in a press release.

Wednesday was not the first time Jardine had been drunk in the classroom.

“During September of 2011 she was a math teacher at Belen High School in New Mexico,” said Babeu. “Students reported to their administration she was ‘acting strange and slurring her words.’ It was determined she was intoxicated and she was later fired from the school.”

Jardine was cited with consumption of alcohol in public and may be charged with disorderly conduct pending an investigation.

Jardine was also cited and released Aug. 12 for super extreme DUI in Gilbert, Ariz. near Perry High School. A breathalyzer test showed her blood-alcohol content to be .257. A bottle of peppermint schnapps was found in her vehicle.

The school said it will fully cooperate with investigators.

KTAR’s Martha Maurer also contributed to this report.