Oklahoma Third Grade Teacher Arrested After School Officials Accuse Her of Being 'Drunk on the Job'

Third-grade teacher Kimberly Coates, 53, was arrested after being suspected of being "drunk on the job," RadarOnline.com has learned.

The incident happened on Thursday, August 17, the first day of classes, at Perkins-Tryon Intermediate School in Perkins, Oklahoma.

On Tuesday, the Perkins Police Department released body cam footage of Coates' meeting with school officials and a resource officer before her arrest.

School administration officials initially became suspicious of Coates' behavior at around 3 PM last Thursday. Police Sergeant Spencer Gedon told local news KFOR that "school administration contacted our school resource officer" and when he responded to the call, "he saw some signs that maybe she was impaired."

Superintendent Doug Ogle told Coates that she wasn't acting like "the same person I talked to this morning."

Coates admitted that she had been drinking boxed wine until 3 AM, although school officials suggested that she continued to drink after clocking in for work at 8:25 AM.

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Body camera footage captured Ogle telling Coates that she seemed "off" and was "acting weird." After suggesting that a breathalyzer test could help clear any confusion about the teacher's concerning behavior.

While she agreed to take the test, Coates attempted to blame her behavior on her anxiety medication. The teacher claimed she couldn't provide her prescription bottle because she put loose pills in her pocket and took them after arriving on campus.

The school resource officer administered the breathalyzer to Coates, which read an intoxication level of 0.24, three times the legal limit.

Coates was asked if she had left campus at all that day, to which she replied she had not. When asked if any traces of alcohol could be found in her classroom, the teacher did not give an answer.

The officer asked Coates if she routinely drank and she responded, "Unfortunately, yes," while noting that she was seeing a "counselor" for her consumption habits.

After it was determined that Coates was likely under the influence, the superintendent briefly left to collect her personal belongings. When the superintendent returned, he had a blue cup in his hand.

While questioning Coates about the cup's contents, Ogle told the teacher, "No more games, right?"

Despite Coates claiming that the cup was just "juice," the officer smelled the cup before he chimed in, "that there was wine. Want to try again?"

After pleading with the officer not to arrest her, Coates was taken into custody. She was transported to the Payne County Jail and faces potential public intoxication charges. An investigation into the teacher's behavior is ongoing.