EUSTIS, FL– A Lake County area substitute teacher is facing child abuse charges after she let a student under her care use her vape pen.
The incident occurred last week at Eustis Middle School.
According to the report, the teacher Jennifer Hale, heard a student talking to a friend about wanting to vape.
Hale then told the student that she had one and asked the student if he wanted to take a hit of it.
Hale then reportedly gave her vape pen to the student and told him not to report it to authorities.
The incident was eventually reported to the principal who immediately confronted Hale about the incident.
After Hale admitted to giving the vape to the child, the principal called the police.
Eustis police Chief Craig Capri said that he was surprised by the reason that Hale, who also has a daughter that goes to the school, gave for the actions she took:
“We contacted her she immediately post-Miranda confessed to doing it,” Capri said. “Her response was she just wanted to fit in. I don’t get it. What is there to fit in? You’re there to teach a class, not to fit in.”
The Lake County School District reported that Hale is no longer employed with the district.