Teacher intoxicated in kindergarten classroom arrested

Katherine Klingseis | The Des Moines Register

ANKENY, Iowa — Police arrested a kindergarten teacher after receiving a report that she had a beer can in her classroom.

Jennifer L. Rich, 40, of West Des Moines, has been charged with public intoxication and child endangerment.

Police were called to East Elementary School at 2 p.m. Friday.

A parent who was at the school to help with a Valentine's Day party reported seeing Rich with a beer can in her classroom.

Police took Rich into custody and she tested positive on a preliminary breath test device, according to an Ankeny Police Department news release. During questioning, officers also observed Rich had bloodshot, watery eyes.

Officers found a leather carry bag in Rich's classroom. The bag contained two empty beer cans and four additional full beer cans, the news release said.

Students and parents were inside Rich's classroom for a Valentine's Day party at the time of the incident, said Jenifer Owenson, chief human resources officer for the district. Owenson said a substitute teacher was put in place when Rich was asked to leave the classroom.

The school district placed Rich on leave Friday, Owenson said. Rich, who had been with the district since 2001, handed in her resignation Monday. The Ankeny school board approved her resignation at their regular board meeting that same day.

A long-term substitute teacher has taken over teaching Rich's students, Owenson said. She said the school's principal, Julianne Taylor, called the students' parents over the weekend to notify them of Friday's incident.

The district had received no previous complaints or heard of any other incidents involving Rich, Owenson said.

Ankeny police officers had no contact with Rich before Friday's incident, Ankeny Police Chief Gary Mikulec said.

Police are not releasing Rich's preliminary breath test results until she appears in court, Mikulec said.

Mikulec did not comment on the brand of beer police officers found in Rich's classroom, but did say that that information will be included in court documents available at a later date.