Rapides Parish elementary school teacher accused of drinking wine in class

Administrators at a Deville school contacted a school resource officer when a teacher began acting oddly, leading to a bag of wine being found in her classroom, according to a release.

The officer, a Rapides Parish Sheriff's deputy, was called to Buckeye Elementary School around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday "to assist the school administration with a possible intoxicated school employee," reads the release.

The elementary school's resource officer already had left for the day, so the one assigned to Hayden R. Lawrence Upper Elementary School responded. The administrators told the deputy that the teacher, 43-year-old Shannon Rene Beran of the 800 block of La. Highway 115 in Deville, might be drunk and could have alcohol in her classroom.

"According to witnesses, Beran had been displaying odd behavior during car rider pick-up duty, moving slowly and awkwardly," reads the release. "When confronted and asked about her condition, she stated she wanted to leave and became defensive."

She was detained as the deputy investigated, it reads. The administration also notified the district's central office in Alexandria.

The "partially consumed bag of wine" was found in Beran's room. She was arrested and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on a charge of possession of alcohol on public school property.

Beran later was released on a $500 bond.