MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A fill-in teacher assistant working at a Mooresville elementary school is now facing charges after deputies say she was caught not only intoxicated but still drinking on the job. The district also said she had only been working for two days when she was removed.
The Iredell County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that 41-year-old Jessica Sue Proctor was working at Shepherd Elementary School on Tuesday, but was reported as smelling of alcohol to the principal. The school resource officer was alerted and determined Proctor was indeed impaired.
Additionally, the sheriff's office said Proctor not only had an empty bottle of wine in her pocketbook, but she also had an insulated cup full of wine she was drinking from.
Proctor is now charged with two misdemeanor charges: possession of alcohol on a school campus and child neglect. She was removed from campus and will be in Mooresville District Court on March 9.
Deputies noted Proctor was employed by the Stepping Stones Group, which is used by the Iredell-Statesville Schools system to fill positions temporarily. WCNC Charlotte confirmed with the district she was removed after employees spoke up about what they saw, and that children were not left alone as Proctor was being dealt with.
The district's full statement follows:
The safety of our students is our top priority. We are thankful that our employees felt empowered to speak up when something was not right. Due to the prompt response by our school administration, with assistance from the school resource officer and I-SS human resources department, the suspected employee was questioned, alcohol was found, and the employee was removed immediately. In the duties of this individual, no child was left alone with this individual at any time.
Jessica Sue Proctor served as a contracted teacher assistant for two days at Shepherd Elementary School through The Stepping Stones Group. In an effort to fully staff our schools, our district has used staffing agencies to fill positions.
WCNC Charlotte has also reached out to the Stepping Stones Group for comment. As of publication, we have not heard back from them.
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