Can I get a teaching job with a OUI in Connecticut?

While it is relatively clear that one can lose a Connecticut teaching job if convicted of an OUI, it is less clear that one could obtain the teaching job in the first place with a criminal record showing an OUI conviction. Teaching is one of those jobs which requires a license, and like many other licensed professions, it’s possible to lose one’s license for certain types of actions such as a drunk driving conviction.

It was recently reported that a middle school teacher was fired after a series of arrests, one of which was an OUI. In this particular case, it seems as though the DUI conviction and drug charges dated back to 2007 although more recent charges include falsifying a teaching certificate renewal application and failing to report a criminal conviction to the Department of Education in a timely fashion. In addition, the teacher was accused of domestic violence, although those charges were dropped. The teacher received a three-month suspension for the 2007 incidents, although the more recent violations may result in termination.

Also in the news, a teacher at the West Hartford high school was pulled over for a routine traffic violation and was subsequently charged with an OUI offense. A search of his car revealed drugs and drug paraphernalia. The 37-year-old teacher was suspended without pay.

In yet another case, a Rhode Island elementary school teacher was arrested in Connecticut and charged with drunk driving while on her way to teach school. In addition to being charged with an OUI (Operating Under the Influence), the 44-year-old woman was also charged with assaulting an officer, refusing fingerprints and driving without lights. The teacher was fired from her teaching job as a result.

Those who are recent education graduates from Yale, Southern Connecticut State University or Albertus Magnus College may be interested to know that while failing to get a job due to a DUI does not make the news, receiving an OUI conviction and getting fired or suspended by the Board of Education seems to be a pattern.