Perhaps if one Miami teacher had used the excuse of “student health concerns” during a post-prom event, she might still have her job today.

A Miami teacher was fired Wednesday after she allegedly provided alcohol and condoms to high school students at a post-prom bash, according to a report on WSVN.com.

Isabel Diaz-Almaraz, who served as a full-time dance teacher at South Miami High School since 2009, allegedly provided students last year with “goodie baskets” that contained alcohol and condoms along with such innocuous treats as Jolly Ranchers and Gatorade.

A student posted a photo of the package to an Instagram account, along with the caption, “Thank you Mrs. D.”

The teacher was also accused of spending about $1,000 of her own money to furnish a hotel room for the students following the prom, and allowing students to skip classes by staying in her office.

The investigation began in July 2012 when a parent reported a photo Diaz-Almaraz allegedly posted to her Facebook account that showed her posing with students while holding bottles of alcohol. She was suspended without pay two months later.

At Wednesday’s Miami-Dade School Board meeting, Diaz-Almaraz’s attorney, Mark Herdman, said his client has taken responsibility for her actions.

“Being at the (hotel) was not something she should have done,” he said. “The issue then becomes, what is the appropriate discipline?”

A phone call placed to Herdman’s office seeking additional comment was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.


 
 0 
 
 0