Farmington parents are seeking transparency after teacher of special needs child accused of drinking alcohol in class

FARMINGTON — A Davis County family is seeking transparency after they learned their daughter’s special education teacher was found drinking in class.

Kim and Devin Perry said in February they were called in by a spokesperson with the Davis School District, notifying them their daughter, Flor, had an unexpected day at school three days prior.

“She had a fall at school and hit her head,” Kim Perry said. “We were told that her teacher had been inebriated at school.”

Not only that, Perry said the spokesperson told her Flor had sipped an alcoholic beverage as well.

“There was no way of telling how much she consumed, and she’s developmentally delayed, the age of a 2-year-old,” Perry said.

A district spokesman confirmed the teacher, Kathrine Meatoga, admitted to “having hard seltzer in a stainless steel tumbler,” and that a student “took possession of the employee’s mug.”

Before the district could close its investigation, the spokesman said Meatoga had resigned.

“The Davis School District and our community have high expectations for educators,” the spokesman said. “Unfortunately, in this circumstance, an employee violated that trust. We do not tolerate the possession or consumption of alcohol on school premises.”

Yet, for the Perrys, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.

In 2022, the Perrys said Flor was abused by a teacher in another school.

“I feel disbelief,” Devin said. “Here we go again.”

Yet, the Perrys hope Flor can stay with her school.

“She wakes up every morning excited to go,” Devin said. “The aides in the classroom have been amazing.”

It’s leadership and oversight, the Perrys hope will change, as well as transparency.

“The district said they didn’t tell us because they didn’t have a witness report until several days later,” Perry said. “These are vulnerable, nonverbal students who can’t come home and say ‘hey, something weird happened at school today.’ We’re trusting that the district is taking care of them and being open with us about things that occur.”

Flor, who is 21 years old, has a rare genetic disease called 1p36 Deletion Syndrome.

Though she can’t speak, Perry said Flor knows 20 different signs that she uses to communicate.

“She will say yes or no, but she couldn’t verbalize something significant that happened to her at school,” Perry said.

The Perrys adopted Flor from Ecuador when she was seven, but Perry met Flor when she was a baby.

Before they were married, Perry and Devin exchanged letters. Devin was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Perry was serving in an orphanage in Ecuador.

“I just fell in love with her,” Perry said. “She had a sweet personality back then.”

At that time, Perry didn’t even realize she would one day marry Devin.

“When we both turned 25, he surprised me with a bank account where he’d been saving money for Flor’s adoption,” Perry said. “He’s loved her as much as I have from the beginning.”

That love has amplified their heartbreak at what the Perrys said has happened to Flor.

“This happened twice to our daughter,” Devin said. “How many more incidents are going on that are not being reported on and divulged to parents?”

The teacher’s court hearing is set for May 5th in Farmington. 

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