Windy Sydney

By Maria Medina WAPATO, WA -- Action News learned the first grade teacher at Camas Elementary on paid leave has got a criminal record that would concern any parent.

Earlier this week Action News told you the Wapato school district is staying tight-lipped about what happened, but sources close to the district told us the teacher was put on paid-leave after coming to class drunk.

Parents and residents are shocked the district hasn't yet fired the teacher, who's out of the classroom but still getting a paycheck.

Sources said it was this same teacher who came to school drunk a few months ago and may have struggled with a drinking problem for years.

A judge ordered the educator to stay away from alcohol after police found the teacher's child waiting in a car outside a bar.

There's also a charge of DUI, and the latest -- a hit and run and reckless endangerment charges from early this year.

The district refuses to go into detail, only confirming a teacher is on paid-leave and they're also dragging their feet in providing public records.

The superintendent asked for more time than the law provides to honor the request by Action News.

Our last resort was to drop-by the district's office on Friday, but again the superintendent was too busy to talk to us. Most times she's also too busy to return phone calls.

Concerned parents and residents have told Action News that they just want answers.

Witnesses reported seeing the teacher vomit on a field trip and then leave first-graders to wander through a corn maze by themselves while the teacher passed out on a school bus.

There's a clue that the district knew something was going on with the teacher because the former superintendent asked the state's superintendent office to investigate the teacher, but the state never did because the alleged behavior happened during summer break, it didn't affect students or the district.

The superintendent could give no date on when they'll decide whether the teacher could come back or when they might honor that public records request.