A substitute teacher gave a seventh grader a hit of her vape pen in a bid to ‘fit in’ with the rest of the young class, cops say.
Now charged with child abuse, 50-year-old Jennifer Hale was arrested on Friday, and is also out of a job due the alleged incident – which transpired at a Central Florida middle school on May 2.
The student who allegedly used the vape pen has not been named due to his age, and told cops that Hale had confronted her during a conversation he was having with classmate about the nicotine delivering devices.
He claimed that after overhearing their talk, Hale ‘chimed in’ to say that she had one – before brandishing it behind her desk and asking if he wanted a hit. After he obliged, she allegedly told the class to keep quiet about what she had just done.
School administrators quickly learned of the incident – and immediately confronted the middle-aged temp on campus during school hours. She proceeded to own up to the act, and was escorted off the premises and told to never return.
Shortly thereafter, she was arrested at her Mt. Dora home five miles away – at which point she again confessed to local cops. She then offered officers the questionable explanation.
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Now charged with child abuse, 50-year-old Jennifer Hale was arrested on Friday, and has lost her job as a result of the alleged incident – which she already confessed to
The incident happened at this Central Florida school, Eustis Middle, roughly a week ago, on May 2. She was escorted off the premises and told to never return last week as well
‘We contacted her she immediately post-Miranda confessed to doing it,’ Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri told WESH following Hale’s arrest Friday, providing the woman’s bizarre motive.
‘Her response was she just wanted to fit in.’
Appearing for a video interview with the local outlet, the town’s top cop proceeded to decry the woman’s defense.
‘I don’t get it. What is there to fit in?’ he asked aloud, visibly dumbfounded by Hale’s alleged explanation regarding her actions last week at Eustis Middle School.
‘You’re there to teach a class, not to fit in. She has a responsibility to that classroom to protect kids. Not abuse them.’
Hale has since been released on $1,000 bond – despite facing a third-degree felony.
She stands accused of one count of child abuse – and cops reportedly confiscated her vape pen as evidence.
According to her arrest affidavit, the unnamed child who hit the vape only did so once before returning it.
However, during that interaction, Hale also allegedly warned the youngster to be wary of a ‘salt-like’ substance on the pen – though the boy could not identify what that substance was during his questioning by cops.
He told officers in the small-town that Hale asked him not to report her, telling him she did not want to get in trouble.
The child evidently obliged – but officers said school staffers soon learned of Hale’s actions through another student present in the classroom.
Eutis Police Chief Craig Capri told WESH after Hale’s arrest that the temporary teacher offered up her e-cigarettes because ‘she just wanted to fit in’
Parents at the school are now aghast after learning of the incident,’ including eighth-grade mom Jennifer Hunter (pictured), as well as the boy’s mother, who reportedly is planning to press charges
The school’s principal called Capri’s force the next day – but not before calling Hale into his office to explain herself.
It was at that point that she first admitted to giving the minor her e-cigarette. When asked to provide an explanation, Spencer said the sub told him the same thing she apparently told cops – that she was ‘just trying to fit in.’
Parents at the school are now aghast after learning of the incident – including the boy’s mother, who local outlet Inside Lake said was ‘very upset’ and is planning to press charges.
Public records further show that a no contact order between the child and the accused was filed last week, prohibiting Hale of reaching out to her former student in person or any other means.
‘Teachers,’ parent Jennifer Hunter remarked to WESH, citing how such figures should be the last thing to fret about when dropping your kids off at school
‘It’s scary.’ the eight-grade parent went on. ‘I never thought a substitute teacher would give my child that or someone else’s child any of that stuff. Just other students.’
She added: ‘They don’t need to fit in with the kids at all. They need to be more parent-like than fitting in with the kids.’
Not much is known about Hale, other than that she began working as a substitute teacher in November 2022 and had no prior criminal record or disciplinary issues.
She faces a maximum of five years in prison if convicted, as well as five years probation and a $5,000 fine. A court date has not yet been announced.
