By XAVIER SMERDON
THE principal of a Truganina school has defended police after they arrested one of her teachers for allegedly drink driving on a cancelled licence.
The 51-year-old teacher from South Yarra allegedly hit two parked cars on Sayers Rd at around 11.15am last Thursday before recording a blood-alcohol level of 0.032.
Principal of Westbourne Grammar School, Meg Hansen, said she was disturbed by reports that implied the police interrupted a class to arrest the woman.
“The teacher was in a private room at the time and was definitely not teaching any students,” Ms Hansen told Star.
“No students were anywhere in the room.”
Ms Hansen said that when the police took the teacher to a waiting police car they deliberately went in a direction where there are usually no students.
“The reason that a handful of students saw it was just that they happened to be outside at the time doing a PE (physical education) class,” she said.
“The police were absolutely discreet. I don’t think that they would ever interrupt a class like some people are saying.”
It has been reported that the students who did witness the arrest were told by the police to turn away.
Police said the teacher could be charged with conduct endangering life and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Ms Hansen said the teacher had taken voluntary sick leave and that the school was currently undertaking its own internal investigation.
