A DUI Can Mean Losing Your Teaching Job

One of the common concerns for teachers who are charged with a DUI is about whether they will lose their job.  You’ve put in so much hard work to get to this point.  Watching it all come down in an instant can be very scary.  Fortunately, The McShane Firm has experience with these cases and can recommend the best plan of action for you.

Teachers are in such a hard spot because they work for the School Board and thus, discussions about them become very public.  Even before a teacher is charged with a crime, their name is in the local papers and everyone knows about what happened.  The typical school superintendent or School Board handling the disciplinary action focuses on the teacher’s actions outside school being a negative reflection on the integrity of the school district. Sometimes, the school board moves to terminate a teacher even before the matter has been resolved in court.

Although a first offense DUI is not an offense that requires an automatic period of ineligibility, in all reality, schools can subject current teachers to the ineligibility provisions. Pennsylvania law states that nothing shall interfere with a school’s ability to make employment, discipline, or termination decisions.

Because a DUI stays on your criminal history, finding a job in another state will also be difficult.  This could mean a lifetime of embarrassment and having to accept lower offers because of the lack of options.

Furthermore, Pennsylvania State Law requires a standardized form to be completed that indicates whether the school employee has been convicted of certain offenses. Each individual school district is still free to set their own policies regarding whether the DUI should be reported on their forms. These laws apply not only to teachers, but to secretaries, principals, coaches, janitors and cafeteria staff.

These laws could end the employment of many hard working people who pose no threat at all. If you are a teacher charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania, your career is at stake.  When so much is on the line, you should turn to the best: The McShane Firm.  Please call 1-866-MCSHANE.

Justin McShane

PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.