No charges for CE2 teacher who allegedly taught while intoxicated

A 57-year-old second-grade teacher arrested after allegedly teaching while drunk will not be charged, prosecutors announced Monday.

Wendy Munson, 57, was arrested Oct. 2 after Sutter County sheriff's deputies received reports of a staff member who appeared to be intoxicated at Nuestro Elementary School in Live Oak .

Despite the arrest, prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to show a crime had been committed.

“While the DA’s Office recognizes that it is highly inappropriate to teach while intoxicated, unfortunately it is not illegal,” the statement said.

Deputies arrived and found Munson in the middle of class, apparently showing signs of intoxication.

In a news release issued at the time of the arrest, deputies said a video showed Munson driving to school and then failing a sobriety test.

She was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment.

Dist. of Sutter County. Atty. Jennifer Dupré said that several hours after deputies were called, Munson's blood alcohol level was measured in separate tests at 0.20 percent and 0.19 percent. A level of 0.08% is considered drunk for motorists in California.

Munson did not respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, the prosecutor's office announced that no charges would be filed against Munson after an eight-month investigation failed to produce enough evidence to meet the legal requirements for charges.

Dupré said the investigation included interviews with current and former students of the second-grade teacher.

She said investigators could not prove that Munson was drunk when she drove to work or whether she started drinking in elementary school.

Although a video of Munson driving to school was found, it does not prove she was intoxicated at the time, Dupré said.

“She doesn't get out of the car and fall or anything, so that didn't help us,” Dupré said.

Prosecutors also were unable to meet legal requirements for the child endangerment charge, officials said, “because there was no specific information indicating that children in the class de Munson were placed in a position where their person or health was in danger.”

Prosecutors should have proven that the children in Munson's care were actually in danger during his time in the classroom, she said, a situation that did not occur.

“The person must have placed her in a position where she is in danger and not likely to be in danger,” Dupré said.

By the end of the investigation, the incident appeared to be a personnel matter within the school and district, she said.

“This behavior is reprehensible,” Dupré said. “But it does not violate the criminal code to teach children when they are drunk.”

Munson's employment status within the Nuestro Elementary School District was unclear.

The district's website did not list her as a teacher.

Our schools Supt. Bal Dhillon did not immediately respond to a request for comment or questions about Munson's employment situation.