Tales of a Teacher

[Jester]

Regarding the DUI mom....

I am not a lawyer, nor am I familiar with the local laws in your area. However, I would not be surprised to learn that parental custody overrides teachers' law enforcement duties. In other words, even knowing that the mother is without a driver's license may not be enough to refuse releasing her child to her. After all, you are not actually putting the child in the car with Mother of the Year. In all likelihood, the only person who would get in trouble for child endangerment in this kind of situation is the person actually endangering the child. In other words, Mommy Drunkest.

I am not saying this would be an intelligent law. However, our society is very bureaucratic, and such a thing would not surprise me. And if Vodka Mama is the legal guardian of said child, short of her being drunk or violent at the time, I'm not sure a teacher or school could legally refuse her her child.

Again, I am not a lawyer, but am merely surmising certain things. As always, I reserve the right to be completely and even embarrassingly wrong.

[mathnerd]

You're right. It would depend on the finer points of local law, however, the way I've always interpreted the law is that by knowingly releasing the child to a drunk/unlicensed driver, I would be guilty of child endangerment and could be held liable if anything happened. Also, most states have mandatory reporter laws, and as a teacher, I'd be required to file a report with the local child protection department.

[NorthernZel]

You're right. It would depend on the finer points of local law, however, the way I've always interpreted the law is that by knowingly releasing the child to a drunk/unlicensed driver, I would be guilty of child endangerment and could be held liable if anything happened. Also, most states have mandatory reporter laws, and as a teacher, I'd be required to file a report with the local child protection department.

Over here, daycare and/or preschool workers are mandated to refuse releasing of a child to a visibly intoxicated parent (whether they're driving or not) AND notify the authorities about it. No exceptions.