Who is Clifford Harper? Chino Hills high school teacher arrested after allegedly showing up to work drunk
CHINO HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Clifford Harper, a teacher at Townsend Junior High, was detained on Thursday, August 24, on suspicion of showing up to class intoxicated.
According to Fox News, the STEM teacher has been accused of child endangerment and public intoxication.
Was Clifford Harper drunk?
Workers at the school claimed that Clifford Harper, 49, was "possibly under the influence of an alcoholic beverage with students in his classroom," as reported by ABC7.
Currently, Clifford Harper is the subject of an investigation. The circumstances that led to the allegations against the 49-year-old teacher have not yet been made public by officials.
Parents reportedly received notification from Townsend Junior High School that Harper would be put on administrative leave while investigators looked into the matter.
Coworkers at Townsend Junior High School in Chino Hills noticed Clifford Harper exhibiting signs of intoxication at around 11.30 am on August 24.
Chino Hills Police Department officers detained Harper shortly after the complaint was filed. The instructor made no public remarks regarding the accusations, as reported by KTLA.
How was Clifford Harper arrested?
Officials have not disclosed what aroused Harper's coworkers' suspicions as the case is still in its early stages of investigation.
But, after confronting Harper, authorities found there was good reason to think his coworkers were right.
Harper's alleged intoxication was viewed as particularly dangerous because the course he taught required the use of numerous machines and pieces of equipment.
According to KTLA, Harper's STEM Introduction to Technology course has both woodshop and the use of 3D modeling software covered in the curriculum.
Where is Clifford Harper held after his arrest?
After his swift arrest, Harper was subsequently booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Chino Hills, California. He is now facing accusations of public intoxication and endangering children due to his alleged actions.