An Oakdale High School teacher is facing criminal charges after she hosted a party at her San Joaquin County residence which resulted in an Oakdale High student being taken to the hospital for severe alcohol intoxication.
San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputy Pete Smith said sheriff’s patrol units were summoned to the residence of Leandra Spence on Lemon Avenue in the unincorporated area just east of Escalon on Saturday night, Jan. 28. Spence is an Oakdale High School Special Education teacher.
According to Deputy Smith, there was a party being held at the home and a juvenile had to be transported to Oak Valley Hospital. Smith did not know if the student had been taken by ambulance or by private vehicle.
“We were called to the home and we’re working backwards from that point,” Smith said, noting that the incident is still an ongoing investigation.
Sheriff’s deputies issued Spence, a 14-year teacher who received a credential for special education instruction in 2012, a citation charging her with misdemeanor sections of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, child endangerment, and inflicting harm to a child.
As a result of the citation, Spence will have to appear in court and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office will review the charges for prosecution.
“The Oakdale Joint Unified School District has been informed about the allegations of a district employee hosting a party on January 28, 2017 where underage attendees at the party consumed alcohol,” an OJUSD press release stated on Jan 30. “The District has confirmed with authorities that the person in question is employed by the District, and we will be cooperating with the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Department in their investigation and conducting our own investigation.
“The employee has been placed on Administrative Leave. Other than these reported allegations, the District is unaware of any specific facts involving the reported incident. This is a personnel matter, therefore the District cannot comment further so as not to impede the investigations.”
