Leicester teacher banned after going to school while ‘drunk’

The panel was also told there was also an occasion when alcohol was smelled on her breath as she was sitting with a child who was reading to her.

The panel was further told that alcohol could be smelled on Ms Arcos-Diaz’s breath on 14 February 2020, and told pupils she would cook them all a Christmas dinner.

A witness told the panel: “The pupils were confused as to why Ms Arcos-Diaz was saying that, since it was Valentine’s Day, not Christmas.”

A witness told the panel he had spoken to her at school at about 08:30 that day and believed that she was “drunk”, since he could smell alcohol on her and her speech was unclear.

Ms Arcos-Diaz admitted not declaring her drink-driving conviction, from November 2018, but denied the other allegations that she had been unfit to work.

The panel found there were five occasions when it was “more likely than not” she had attended the school unfit for work due to alcohol and/or medication.

It also found she contacted staff members while she was suspended although she had been instructed not to.

The TRA report said: “The panel noted that Ms Arcos-Diaz stated ‘how sincerely regretful I am off [sic] some extremely poor decisions that [she had] made that have undoubtedly led for [her] to be in this situation’.”