SANFORD, Fla. — A Seminole County substitute teacher is accused of showing up to a classroom intoxicated on Tuesday morning.
Sanford police say a school resource officer at Bentley Elementary School was contacted by a staffer who said that substitute teacher Holly Joel, age 52, was possibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The resource officer said the school’s principal was in the classroom and had asked Joel to stand up and Joel fell and hit a nearby window. Students were then removed from the classroom.
A deputy responded to the school and asked Joel if she know what day it was and she responded “Monday”. He also asked her who the president was and she responded “Obama” and replied “Obama” when she was also asked what the president’s first name is.
According to the arrest affidavit, the principal reported that Joel’s head was swaying and her eyes were closing. The principal asked Joel to step outside of the classroom and when Joel stood up, she fell over and hit a window. The principal told the deputy “Her speech was slurred and she smelled of alcohol.” The deputy said that Joel had a water bottle that contained a pink liquid that smelled like alcohol when he opened it.
Joel was arrested on charges of child neglect, disorderly intoxication and disturbing the peace- interfering with school administration functions.