At a Davis School District special-education campus in Farmington, what should have been a routine school day turned into a nightmare for one family after a student drank from a teacher's stainless-steel tumbler that the teacher later admitted contained hard seltzer. The student then fell and hit her head.
The teacher, identified by the district as Katherine Meatoga, resigned before the district finished its internal investigation and has been cited on a misdemeanor charge tied to possession or consumption of an alcoholic beverage at school. The student's family, who say she is developmentally delayed, report they were not told about the incident until days later and are now demanding clearer, faster notifications for vulnerable students.
District and local reporting indicate the episode occurred on March 18 at Vista Education Campus. A district spokesperson told parents the employee "had hard seltzer in a stainless steel tumbler" and that "a student took possession of the employee's mug," as reported by News4SanAntonio. The district confirmed the staffer was no longer employed, and the citation for possession or consumption of alcohol on campus is tied to the March 18 incident. School officials have not released the full investigative file, the outlet reports.
"She had a fall at school and hit her head," Flor's mother, Kim Perry, told KSL, adding that the family did not learn what had happened until three days later. Flor is biologically 21 but has severe developmental delays associated with 1p36 deletion syndrome. She is nonverbal and could not explain the incident herself, leaving her parents entirely dependent on the district's timeline and communication. The Perrys say they want quicker and clearer notifications for families of students who cannot easily report what happens at school.
Charges and court date
Local reporting states that Katherine Meatoga was charged with a class B misdemeanor for possession or consumption of an alcoholic beverage at school and resigned before the district's review was complete, according to Law & Crime. Law & Crime reports that Meatoga is scheduled to appear in the 2nd District Court in Farmington on May 5. The citation itself is not publicly available, the outlet notes.
Parents want faster notice
The Perrys told KSL this is not the first time they have felt blindsided by a school incident involving their daughter. They say Flor previously experienced an alleged abuse incident at a different school in 2022, which has amplified their frustration this time around.
They praised the classroom aides who work directly with Flor but argued that district leadership needs to improve how incidents are documented and shared with guardians of nonverbal or otherwise vulnerable students. "Here we go again," Devin Perry said in the interview, urging the district to change its communication practices.
District response and next steps
The Davis School District told reporters it holds educators to "high expectations" and that it "does not tolerate the possession or consumption of alcohol on school premises," according to comments given to News4SanAntonio. The district said it would continue cooperating with authorities while following its internal process.
Parents and advocates say they plan to keep pressing the district for clearer timelines and stricter incident-reporting rules, particularly for families of students with special needs who may not be able to speak up for themselves.
Meatoga's court date in Farmington is set for May 5; until then, the criminal citation, the district's internal personnel review and any potential disciplinary outcomes will determine the formal consequences. The family says it is seeking accountability and faster communication so other caregivers are not left in the dark. The Davis School District website lists resources for reporting concerns and describes the Vista Education Campus among its special-education programs.
