Substitute Teacher Found With Alcohol, Refused To Leave Wallingford Elementary School: Police

WALLINGFORD, CT — A substitute teacher is accused of being in the possession of alcohol at a Wallingford elementary school and struggling with police after refusing to leave the school, according to police. The substitute teacher, who school officials say was slurring his words, had been told that he wouldn’t be working for Wallingford Public Schools again based on performance issues. Wallingford Police responded to Pond Hill School at about 3:35 p.m. (after school was dismissed) on Sept. 28.

Arriving officers were advised by school officials that a substitute teacher, identified as Kelly Bolling, 24, of Cedar Crest Place in Norwalk, was refusing to leave the school. A school administrator told the officers that Bolling had been told by administrators from a different Wallingford elementary school the previous day that he would not be allowed back to that school, due to reports of him watching movies with ear buds in both ears during class, according to Lt. Cheryl Bradley. (To sign up for Wallingford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

The principal of Pond Hill Elementary School told police that on Sept. 28 she went to check on Bolling and observed him texting on his phone instead of engaging the students. At the end of the day, she called Bolling in to hear his side of the story and noticed that he was mumbling and slurring his words, according to Bradley.

Bolling was then told that he wouldn’t be working for Wallingford Public Schools again and was asked to leave but refused to leave school grounds, according to Bradley.

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“Officers approached Bolling, who was in the vestibule,” Bradley said in a press release. “Officers noticed that Bolling was agitated, his eyes were bloodshot and he was swaying back and forth. He was holding a blue backpack and refused to drop it and remove his hand from his pocket when asked. Bolling then lifted the backpack over his head as if he was going to throw it at the school administrator and an officer. Officers grabbed Bolling’s arms and he became tense and non-compliant with the officers commands.

“Bolling continued to resist arrest, but, was subdued. A search of his backpack revealed two Captain Morgan (100 proof) nips in the pack, one with a slight amount of alcohol remaining.”

In a note to parents, school officials said that all substitute teachers “must meet rigorous hiring standards including both state and federal background checks based on fingerprinting, a DCF registry check, and reference checks.”

All aspects of employment were met at the time of Bolling’s hire, officials said.

Bolling was charged with criminal trespass, second-degree breach of peace, interfering/resisting arrest and second-degree threatening. He was released on a $1,500 bond and issued a court date of Oct. 12 at Superior Court in Meriden.

Pictured: Kelly Bolling, 24, of Norwalk / Wallingford Police Department