Body Camera Footage Released: Perkins Teacher Arrested On Complaint Of Public Intoxication

Body camera footage has been released showing a Perkins teacher allegedly drunk on the first day of school. 

Kimberly Coates was arrested last Thursday and booked into the Payne County Jail on a complaint of public intoxication.

The body camera footage shows Coates being brought in for a meeting between the superintendent, a school counselor and school resource officer. Superintendent Doug Ogle says he was notified by another teacher that Coates was acting strange.

“Just observing you in the classroom, it seems like there's something off a little bit,” said Ogle. “Just seems like you're not the same person I talked to this morning.”

Coates admitted to taking some medication saying, “I did take some medication last night to help me with sleep because I have some anxiety stuff.”

Both Ogle and the SRO asked Coates numerous times if she had anything to drink that day, to which Coates continuously told them she had not, adding, “I wouldn’t bring it into the school.”

Ogle asked Coates to take a breathalyzer, to which Coates immediately consented.

SRO: Are you going to blow 00?

Coates: I don’t know.

SRO: You should know, if you didn’t drink anything you should blow 00.

Coates took the breathalyzer, and her blood alcohol level was .26, which is three times the legal limit. 

Coates continued to deny drinking at the school or drinking that day at all. At one point she admitted to drinking “half a box of wine” the night before, and drinking until after 3 a.m.

Superintendent Ogle left the room to retrieve Coates belongings from her classroom, and when he returned, he slammed an empty cup down on the table saying, “Ok, no more games alright what was in that?”

Coates responded saying it was “juice” and after the SRO smelled it, he said there was wine in the cup at one point. Coates was then accused of wiping the wine out of the cup.

She told Ogle and the SRO, “I drank out of that yesterday. I didn't drink out of it today. I drank out of that coming to work yesterday.”

Coates was given multiple chances to call her husband or a friend to pick her up from school but did not want to call anybody. When she was told she was going to lose her job or be forced to resign, and possibly be arrested, Coates began to change her story.

SRO: I just don't believe you right now. I don't think you're being honest with us.

Coates: Okay I drank on the way to work.

Coates was arrested on school property and booked into the Payne County Detention Center on a complaint of public intoxication.

“You're under the influence at school with kids. That cannot happen,” said Ogle.

OSDE’s Chief Advisor Matt Langston sent a statement on the situation, saying: “This is unacceptable for any teacher in the State of Oklahoma. SDE immediately revoked Coates’ teaching certificate and SDE will be exploring other disciplinary actions to ensure no child is exposed to this type of inappropriate behavior.”

In a statement, Perkins School said: “Superintendent Doug Ogle was made aware of a possible situation involving a staff member. The district immediately contacted the Perkins Police Department, whose officers are overseeing the investigation. The school district is conducting an internal investigation and cooperating with law enforcement.

The district’s number one priority is to provide a safe learning environment for students. Because this is a personnel issue, the district is unable to share additional information at this time.”