A teacher in a San Rafael high school has been arrested for child endangerment after she allegedly appeared intoxicated on the job, the San Rafael police announced on Thursday.
Teagen Leonhart, 46, of San Anselmo, is an English teacher at Terra Linda High School, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has previously worked at Novato High and San Rafael High.
Leonhart was removed from her classroom on Wednesday morning after a school employee alerted an administrator that she might be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said.
The school administrator entered Leonhart's classroom, allegedly saw signs of intoxication, and removed her from the class and called the police.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The SRPD sent a state-certified drug recognition expert (DRE) to the school, the department said. According to police, Leonhart initially denied being under the influence but an alcohol screen allegedly showed her blood-alcohol content to be three times the legal limit for driving. Police allege that she then admitted to drinking that morning. The DRE officer also alleges that the teacher was also under the influence of a prescription drug and cannabis.
Police assert that Leonhart had been responsible for the safety of 53 students that day and was unable to care for their safety due to her alleged condition.
Leonhart was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of public intoxication and child endangerment.
