Quite the Conundrum

A situation has recently come up where I teach. I am not exactly sure what to think about it because I am honestly perplexed.

A teacher at my school was arrested on Sunday for her third DUI, which is a felony in NV. She was driving down the main drag in Carson and hit a parked car. People tried to get her to stop but she just kept going. A few people followed her and called the cops. After the cop started following her she ran into a snow bank and could no longer move her car. She got out and ran from the officer. He simply stayed with her in his car and told reporters that when it looked like she was done running, he simply got out of his car and arrested her. She was taken to jail and had to come up with bail to get back to school yesterday.

Now, I didn't hear about this until yesterday, and unfortunately the size and setting of my school are conducive to gossip. Luckily I am often off campus with PE classes and tend to not be involved with such petty things, but this is big. One of the girls in my department came in and asked if I had heard about the article in the newspaper. She told me that the school's faculty and staff were buzzing about the event, and not necessarily in a good way. Immediately after we had discussed this a staff member came in waving the newspaper in front of her face, asking if we had heard the news. I was a little miffed that she would be spreading 'the news' in such a careless way, but she claimed it was so we could all show our support.

The thoughts running through my head were interesting at that point. I didn't know how I could 'support' something that I think is morally wrong, especially something that a teacher did publicly. I didn't want to support her, but was rather ashamed for what she had done, especially as a teacher. In the newspaper article she was identified as a faculty member of our school, which is extremely bad PR for us. Our school kind of has a reputation as being the last resort for students who have failed everywhere else. (Don't get me wrong, I am not a huge advocate of reputations because I attended a high school whose reputation was probably one of the worst in the Salt Lake Valley, but I knew it was a good school and actually decided I was going to become a teacher because of the teachers I had while there.) We are somewhat of an alternative school, and our students may be a bit unruly at times. This situation has only been another mark on us.

Granted, this teacher's 'problem' was not necessarily related to her job, not until she was arrested that is. How can someone who is supposed to be a good role model for students who are already struggling in life have any credibility after such an event? This person teaches drama at our school and is also a Special Education case worker. She works with students on a very personal level all day long. This morning I was thinking that if I were a parent I would not feel very comfortable if she were working with my child. Not that she would try to influence my child to drink or do morally wrong things, but just because she doesn't seem to have her personal life under control, and people who can't handle themselves are easily frazzled and often unstable.

That being said, I do believe in the power of the atonement and in the repentance process. This woman came up to me and one of my co-workers last night to personally apologize for her actions, while at the same time admitting that they are inexcusable and that she has a serious problem with alcohol. I didn't know what to say so I just put my arm around her and thanked her for the apology. She has recognized, or rather had the legal system help her recognize, that she has a serious problem and she is extremely outwardly remorseful about her actions. She also made a public apology at the board meeting last night during the public comment.

I was talking with one of my friends last night and she brought this up. Carson is a small city and it tends to follow the trend of most small places, meaning it is hard to hide anything from public view. My friend was rather candid about the situation and even joked about it. Again, I didn't quite know what to do. My co-worker is a good person who has a problem. She needs help, not people mocking her for her indiscretions.

I feel for her, but I can't condone her actions. How am I supposed to act in this situation? Should I be morally grounded and stand firm, or should I bend and let her know that everything will be okay (even though I doubt it will be)? How do I maintain a professional relationship with someone I don't respect personally? Man, sometimes it stinks being an adult.

Actually, I have thought that since this is such a 'low' time in her life, an opportunity may have just presented itself to me for sharing the gospel...still praying about that one.