Florida Substitute Teacher Allegedly Showed Up To School Drunk

A substitute teacher in Florida is facing charges for allegedly arriving to school drunk last week, then trying to drive away after bring blocked from entry, authorities said.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said officials at Lake Alfred Polytech Academy removed 44-year old Micah Alan Dyal from the classroom as a substitute teacher at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, because he was allegedly intoxicated. A PCSO deputy working as a school resource officer then stopped him as he tried to drive away in a “panic.”

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Dyal “slurred his speech, his eyes were red, he smelled of alcohol.” The PCSO deputy working as a school resource officer “took him out of the classroom” and brought him to the office in order to help him arrange a ride home and deal with the situation “administratively,” Judd said.

“Then Micah panicked, got into his car, and tried to drive away,” the sheriff’s office said. The school resource deputy stopped him as he tried to back out of his parking space. After failing a field sobriety test, Dyal was taken into custody and charged with DUI.

The sheriff’s office said Dyal consented to a blood draw, and the sample will be sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing.

“This substitute teacher was drunker than Cooter Brown at school while he was supposed to be teaching our children. We gave him an education when we took him to jail,” Judd said.

Although Judd said his deputy removed Dyal from a classroom, the Polk County Public Schools said in a statement that staff prevented Dyal from proceeding to a classroom.

“We commend our school staff for noticing that something was off, and not allowing this individual to proceed to the classroom,” the district said. “What a terrible decision and unacceptable behavior from someone working on a campus. This person will no longer have any involvement with PCPS.”