Teacher fired for drinking in class had alcohol level 5 times legal limit

A Tacoma kindergarten teacher fired for drinking in the classroom had a blood-alcohol level of five times the legal limit to drive in Washington state, according to documents released Tuesday.

Tacoma School District officials say Klara Bowman, 32, was fired last week after an investigation into a Feb. 19 incident.

A student went to the principal’s office that day, saying something was wrong with the teacher, documents said.

Bowman was “extremely unsteady” on her feet, and she walked into a wall in front of a class of fourth graders, according to investigators. The district said her blood-alcohol content registered at 0.40, which is the highest the test will register.

Officers also found empty bottles of alcohol and multiple fixed-knife blades in an unlocked desk drawer, KOMO-TV reported.

Bowman, who was hired by the district in 2008, had a last-chance agreement with the district because of a previous alcohol-related incident in 2011, the district said.

Bowman has filed an appeal through her union.