Authorities in Pittsburgh say a substitute teacher took heroin and passed out in the middle of class on Wednesday, ABC News reported.
Bellevue Police Sgt. Mike Hudson said 26-year-old Christopher Chiappetta, of Pittsburgh, was arrested after passing out in front of 11 students.
"Unfortunately, it was a very realistic show and tell where you can preach the message to students, but they got to see live, firsthand the effects of a drug addiction problem," Hudson said.
Officials discovered four bags of heroin in Chiappetta's pockets as well as marijuana in his car. According to police, he originally denied being under the influence but eventually confessed to using heroin around 6:00 a.m. that morning.
"When a person makes a decision to use a narcotic, and he's actually being a substitute teacher, that's pretty severe drug usage, and he needs a lot of help," Hudson added.
The substitute teacher currently faces charges for drugs and endangering children. However, if police find that students feel they were victimized by his actions, Chiappetta could face additional charges.
He is being held at Allegheny County jail on $10,000 bond and his preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 24. There is no listed attorney for him on court documents.
Last year, an elementary school teacher in Florida was arrested after her co-workers noticed she was acting erratically, only to discover she tested positive for opiates and marijuana.
Elizabeth Edmonds, 30, was immediately placed on leave following the incident and left many parents concerned for their children's well being.
:"To hear that she's doing drugs herself and going to school and being responsible for a whole classroom of students all day, it's just shocking," said Keith Douglas, a grandfather of one of Edmond's former students.
"To think that when my grandson was in her class, that she was may be high on these drugs, you never know what could happen," he added.
