Kindergarten teacher's blood alcohol level 5 times legal limit

TACOMA, Wash. — A report released by Tacoma public schools says former kindergarten teacher Klara Bowman was caught teaching a class full of kids with a blood alcohol level at least five times higher than the limit considered too impaired to drive.

And this is the second time the 32-year-old Bowman was caught drinking and hiding large amounts of liquor in the classroom, according to the report.

“Nothing about this case it typical,” said Tacoma Public schools spokesman Dan Voelpel. “We don’t have staff members coming to school drunk.”

The report, used to justify Bowman’s firing, states she was seen by another teacher acting unstable during class on Feb. 19. The teacher, “observed you fall onto two students then prop yourself up and laugh.”

Bowman was taken from her classroom and eventually subjected to a blood alcohol test by doctors.

The report stated her blood alcohol concentration was at least .4 percent blood alcohol but added, “.4 is as high as the test will register so it is possible that your BAC was higher than .4.”

The legal limit to be considered driving under the influence in Washington state is a BAC of .08.

Bowman is also accused of asking another teacher to hide evidence of her drinking at school texting her “to go into your classroom to retrieve two bottles of alcohol that you had hidden.”

The report states Bowman was also caught drinking in class in 2011. She wasn't fired then but told to get counseling and help to quit drinking as part of a “last chance” to keep her job.

“We were looking for any way we could to insure that this wouldn’t happen again, yet try and save a really good teacher,” Voelpel said.

Bowman filed an appeal to her termination on Thursday.

Cox Media Group