Being a teacher, especially one in charge of teenagers belonging to Gen Z, has got to be one of the toughest jobs out there. I mean, one might not blame a professional educator who, during a break between classes, slinks off to the teacher’s lounge to take a nip from a flask in order to polish off the frayed edges of his or her nerves before walking back into the lion’s den.
However, chugging down a bunch of wine coolers and teaching a middle school STEM class while three sheets to the wind is behavior that is frowned upon in pretty much any educational institution. But that didn’t stop a STEM teacher from California (go figure) from getting intoxicated and teaching a class at Robert O. Townsend Junior High School in Chino Hills.
According to TheBlaze, sheriff’s deputies with San Bernardino County got a call from the school at around 11:20 a.m. last Thursday. Once they arrived at the scene, the deputies quickly discovered and confirmed 49-year-old Clifford Harper was wasted and promptly arrested him, removing him from school property. He was transported to West Valley Detention Center where he was officially booked. The middle school teacher is looking at potential charges of public intoxication, along with child endangerment.
And people wonder why homeschooling is becoming such a popular option these days.
You have to worry about progressives indoctrinating your kids with all kinds of sexual perversion, attempting to normalize deviant acts that properly require psychological treatment. You bite your nails every time your child walks out the door, wondering if there’s going to be an active shooter incident. You worry your son or daughter will be bullied. And now, you have to keep an eye out for intoxicated teachers.
Not long after Harper made the perp walk out of the school and into infamy, a letter was mailed to parents that revealed he had been slapped with a little administrative leave while law enforcement officials investigated the incident.
Here’s more from TheBlaze:
News video from outside the school shows a large banner proudly declaring that it is a “California Distinguished School.” Harper is from Rancho Cucamonga and teaches STEM and an introduction to technology class. Part of his instruction involves the use of woodshop machines and other pieces of equipment.
One of Harper’s former students told KTLA-TV that she was shocked about the accusations.
“That’s so crazy, I did not expect that at all,” said Hanna Vanpelt. “Even my sister right now has him for third period. It’s just scary. Why is he doing that?”
Other students and parents told KTTV-TV that they were surprised because Harper was such an “amazing” teacher and very passionate about teaching.
To be fair, Harper could be going through some rather serious things in his private life that no one else knows about. A divorce, a bad breakup, the loss of a loved one — any one of these events could lead to some poor decision-making. However, that’s not an excuse for putting kids at risk by being inebriated on the job.
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The report revealed that sometime later, Harper was released by authorities. Harper has a well-established career in the area, having taught for the Chino Valley Unified School District for the last decade.
Whatever the reason might be for Harper’s poor behavior, here’s to hoping he gets the help he needs to get better and is able to salvage at least something from his career as an educator.
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