Report: License suspended after teacher appeared drunk

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A former teacher in the Charleston County School District lost her license after a report from the South Carolina Department of Education says she was drunk at work.

June 14, SCDE officially suspended Laurie Smith’s teaching license after the say she turned up to work one morning with a blood alcohol concentration level of .18 – the legal limit for driving in this state is .08

Smith was an educator for 30 years specializing in learning disabilities and visual impairments. The district says she was working on the district level at the time of the incident.

On May 7, 2021 staff reported Smith appeared to be under the influence and she was escorted to a testing facility by district supervisors. According to the SCDE, Smith was given the opportunity to resign instead of being fired, which she did.

According to the investigation, Smith had no prior disciplinary issues. Her license is suspended until June 13, 2023. Smith was not immediately available for comment.

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