SoCal teacher arrested in alleged drunken teaching

[March 25, 2010]  THERMAL, Calif. (AP) -- A Southern California school teacher has been arrested for allegedly teaching while drunk.

Toro Canyon Middle School teacher Tonya Neff was taken to the Indio jail Tuesday afternoon and booked for investigation of felony child endangerment.

Administrators at Thermal's Toro Canyon Middle School told the Riverside County Sheriff's Department that the 47-year-old teacher was apparently intoxicated on campus.

Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Tapp says Neff had taken prescription drugs and alcohol and an alcoholic beverage was found inside a container.

Coachella Valley school district Superintendent Ricardo Medina says there was never a threat to Neff's seventh-grade students. Neff has been placed on leave.

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Information from: The Desert Sun, http://www.mydesert.com/

[Associated Press]

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