A teacher from a Thermal, California, school was arrested after deputies determined he was under the influence of alcohol, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said.
"School officials contacted the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department after discovering one of their teachers appeared to be under the influence of alcohol," Deputy Sgt., Nicolas Lingle, said in a Sept. 12 news release. Deputies from the Thermal station responded Monday at 10:17 a.m.
Their investigation revealed that Brian Nichols, a 44-year-old resident of Palm Springs and a teacher at the school, was instructing children while under the influence of alcohol, Lingle said. Consequently, Nichols was charged with public intoxication, possession of alcohol on school grounds and child endangerment.
According to a report by City News Service on Palm Desert Patch, Nichols posted $35,000 bail and was released from the John J. Benoit Detention Center the same day he was arrested.
The name of the school will not be disclosed by the sheriff’s department, according to the City News Service report. However, Sgt. Edward Soto said the students at the school were “middle-school-aged.”
The sheriff's department is asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Deputy Ramirez of the Thermal Sheriff's Station at 760-863-8990. For those who want to remain anonymous, an alternative is Valley Crimestoppers at 760-341-7867.