A 50-year-old first-grade teacher at Pleasant Valley Elementary School was found semiconscious inside a classroom bathroom this past Thursday, after allegedly leaving her young students unattended to drive to a liquor store and buy vodka. The teacher, Katharine Viviano, was later cited by police for public drunkenness, according to authorities in the Peters Township School District.
School surveillance video showed Viviano departing school property shortly before 11 a.m. that day, purchasing alcohol at a Fine Wine & Good Spirits store, and backing into another vehicle in the school parking lot upon her return, according to CBS News. The outlet reported that liquor in Pennsylvania is sold exclusively through state-operated stores like the one in McMurray's Donaldson's Crossroads shopping center, just minutes from the school. Responding officers said Viviano smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, and could not walk without assistance. She admitted to drinking vodka earlier in the day and refused a portable breath test before being cited for public drunkenness and related misconduct, per the same report. The outlet also noted that the school principal and a school resource officer responded to the classroom before police arrived.
District Initially Called It a Medical Emergency
Peters Township School District initially told parents the situation was a medical emergency, only revising that account after police completed their investigation and issued the citation, the station's report states. The district later released a statement emphasizing student safety and confirming an ongoing personnel and law enforcement investigation, though school officials declined further details, citing a personnel matter and an ongoing police investigation, according to the same account. As WPXI reported, Pleasant Valley Elementary serves roughly 479 students in grades K-3 in McMurray, Washington County.
The district ranks 16th among all school districts statewide, according to Niche. The incident has drawn scrutiny over how a teacher could leave a first-grade classroom unattended during instructional hours without being noticed sooner.
A Second Pittsburgh-Area Teacher Cited Weeks Earlier
This is not the first such case to surface in the Pittsburgh suburbs this fall. On September 28, middle school teacher Bob Hasak of the nearby West Jefferson Hills School District was cited for public drunkenness after allegedly showing up intoxicated and vomiting in front of students at Pleasant Hills Middle School in suburban Allegheny County, according to WPXI.
Under Pennsylvania's Crimes Code, public drunkenness is a summary offense when a person appears manifestly under the influence in a public place to a degree that may endanger themselves, others, or property, or annoy people nearby, carrying a maximum fine of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses, according to Giribaldi Law. It is the lowest tier of criminal charge under state law, but the consequences for an educator do not necessarily end there.
A License Suspension Followed an Out-of-State Ruling
In a separate case, Pennsylvania suspended an educator's license through reciprocal discipline following an out-of-state licensing authority's adjudication, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Whether Viviano will face further consequences beyond her criminal citation remains unclear, as the personnel investigation continues alongside the law enforcement review.
