Oviedo(FL) High teacher resigns over student's DUI arrest

Orlando Sentinel ^ | November 4, 2009 | Willoughby Mariano

[greatdefender]

An Oviedo High School teacher resigned Wednesday after admitting she gave alcohol and her sport-utility vehicle to a student later arrested in a drunken-driving crash, a Seminole County Public Schools spokeswoman said.

Meredith Witt, a special education teacher, told the principal of Oviedo High she provided alcohol to "one or more" students at her home Monday, then handed over the keys to a student and let him drive off, according to a school district document.

Dylan Ferguson, 18, an Oviedo High senior, was arrested Monday on counts of DUI with damaged property and leaving the scene of a crash. His stepfather told police the teen drove a 2006 Honda SUV that crashed about 10 p.m. into two cars in the 600 block of Horseman Drive, according to a police report.

Police found the truck in the driveway of Ferguson's home, with side and front-end damage and a flat tire.

Ferguson told police he hit the rear end of one car and clipped the rear-view mirror of another because he wasn't paying attention to the road. He also said he left the scene and hid in his home because he was scared, the report states.

Ferguson smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests. He also told an officer he hated law-enforcement and "wanted to kill a cop," according to the report.

The student said he got the alcohol from a friend at the party, the report states. Oviedo police declined to release the name of the friend, saying authorities have not determined whether that person committed a crime.

[org.whodat]

I bet drink is not the only thing she has been passing out, are around, are, you know , bottoms up.

[Past Your Eyes]

If only she had had sex with him....

[GOPsterinMA]

Is this for real? And the teacher is a special ed teacher?

It sounds like a Family Guy episode.

[the invisib1e hand]

problem is the teacher will take all the heat and her life is ruined.

The kid gets to go on being an irresponsible moron.

[Lawgvr1955]

It sounds like a Family Guy episode.

My thoughts exactly. Life imitates art I guess.

[Clintonfatigued]

Don’t ask me about public education. I stopped trying to make sense of it years ago.

[iowamark]

How come I never had such cool teachers?

[Clintonfatigued]

Check it out, this government school thread has something different. Isn’t that nice? The student/teacher liasons have gotten so blase’. (heavy sarcasm)

[Ready4Freddy]

For your consideration:

[GOPsterinMA]

Seriously - I can picture Chris as the student and Herbert the pedophile as the teacher.

Hey Seth MacFarlane, I just wrote an episode for you. I want my royalties!

[GOPsterinMA]

Yep! I am so glad I had nuns for the first 8 years (plus kindergarden).

[guitarplayer1953]

Was it liquor or beer? Back in the day you could buy beer when you were 18 the old adage if your old enough to get drafted your old enough to drink.

[Frantzie]

Guilty as charged.

[RightFighter]

I disagree completely. I don’t think she’s guilty.

[VeniVidiVici]

Just my imagination or is a majority of these special ed teachers?

[Tired of Taxes]

"a special education teacher... told the principal of Oviedo High she provided alcohol to 'one or more' students at her home Monday, then handed over the keys to a student and let him drive off..."

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself) The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. Metmom holds both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail Metmom to let her know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.

[wintertime]

It does seem that these school outrage stories are almost always from schools that would be considered “good” schools. Does anyone know? Is this school in what would be considered a good neighborhood? ( Just wondering?)

Oh! And I am surprised that no one has yet made one of two claims:

**”My Kid's School is Different”
In this excuse the parents insist that my kid's school is not like all the other government schools. They have a Christmas tree in the lobby and an American flag on the wall.

** My Kid is Different
Yes, the parent admits that their kid's government school is a Marxist and moral cesspool but their kid is different and at age ( whatever) is able to tackle and defeat and entire school of morally depraved kids and argue with and convert their liberal/Marxist teachers. The parent insists that although her kid swims every day in a sea of moral, social, and political filth that their kid will emerge from the experience a better swimmer. Yeah! Right! ( sarc)

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Does it seem like Florida is just a hell hole of a place these days? Child abductions, missing children, teachers having sex/partying with students... or, is Florida actually catching these criminals so we’re hearing about it?

[MortMan]

My children’s school truly IS different.

The building needs a little maintenance.

The teachers can be a bit overbearing.

The principal is a real jerk sometimes.

But the kids are thriving. The academic work is never faked, and discipline is meted out carefully and consistently (even if the principal can be a jerk).

We homeschool (and I’m calling myself the principal).