School Board Set to Suspend Bradenton Special Ed Teacher Accused of Drinking on the Job

At tonight's meeting, the Manatee County School board is set to suspend a special education teacher who is accused of coming into work drunk last month.

Special education teacher Anne J. Wampole, 39, is accused of arriving at Bayshore High School last month reeking of alcohol. She got to work on January 13 at about 7:30 a.m.  Ginger Collins,  an assistant principal at the school met with Wampole three hours later to discuss a student. While in close proximity of Wampole, Collins smelled a very strong odor of alcohol and observed Wampole banging on her classroom door to get her students on task, according to a school board report.

Wampole was given a blood alcohol test based on reasonable suspicion. The report from the school shows that she was taken to a testing facility at 1:15 p.m. Test results from an Intoximeter AlcoSensor IV showed her blood alcohol level to be at .112 at about 1:30 p.m., according to the school report. The measure was above .08 the limit for operating a motor vehicle at which point a person is considered to be impaired.   

According to a school board memo, Wampole violated school board policy prohibiting anyone from being in possession of or under the influence of an intoxicating beverage on School Board property. Wampole also violated the rule that requires her to make a reasonable effort to protect students from conditions harmful to learning, and/or to the students' mental or physical health and/or safety. Finally Wampole violated the rule for being publicly under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs to such an extent that her normal faculties were impaired. 

Wampole filed a request for an evidentiary hearing last week. Tim McGonegal, superintendant of schools is recommending Wampole's suspension without pay effective Feb. 28, pending the outcome of the hearing.