A Pasco County Teacher’s Aid Faces DUI Charges in a Pantless Charade

“I had to inform the defendant she was nude twice,” declared the Florida arresting officer who allegedly caught a 41 year old teacher’s aide driving drunk and semi-naked. The event in question was reported by Florida officials on February 26^th in Pasco County. The defendant, middle school employee Kristi Steuber, stands accused of DUI and could be facing more serious charges for indecent exposure.

In the wee hours of the weekend in question, Pasco County officials claim they spotted a vehicle with a broken taillight speeding through a 55 mile per hour zone. Steuber was clocked going 69 miles per hour when the officers began their pursuit. What appeared at first sight to be a routine speeding episode quickly went awry when the traffic cops asked Steuber to exit the vehicle. They suspected driving under the influence immediately after the accused rolled down her window, claiming her car and breathed omitted a faint scent of alcohol. In order to perform a field sobriety test, the teacher’s aide was asked to get out of the car and reports state that she was too intoxicated to realize she wasn’t wearing pants. Steuber was held in the Pasco County Jail and officially charged with driving under the influence.

The Future of her Teaching Career

If convicted of the DUI, Kristi Steuber could risk the future of her teaching career, especially if she desires to advance from a teacher’s aide to a fulltime teacher. While the DUI itself is a misdemeanor in Florida, if this education professional is charged with indecent exposure in addition to the DUI, the impact on her career could be devastatingly negative. This is Ms. Steuber’s first DUI charge which could serve to earn her some leniency in the courtroom but since she has racked up quite a few offenses along the way, proving her innocence could be a daunting task.

One of her best possible defenses is ignorance of the law. This pertains to her broken taillight which could easily have gone unnoticed since it was on the back of her car and even her indecent exposure from the waist down. Reports indicate that the woman was fully unaware of the fact that she wasn’t wearing pants at the time of her arrest. As for the speeding and the intoxication, these charges alone could easily be reduced under the right circumstances.

Leaders Make Mistakes Too

The list of DUI offenders ranges from presidents, senators and legislators to sports players, actresses and educators. The Pasco County school district is examining the case and they admit that being mandated to attend a stern meeting with the district could be the full extent of Steuber’s punishment career wise. Other more serious charges such as child abuse allegations have ended teaching careers in Florida in the past. No word yet as to the student’s reaction to the news but it is almost guaranteed that Steuber, who supervises a class full of middle schoolers, might have to let a few off color comments slide down her back if she wishes to continue her career in higher education.