A local teacher has entered a plea to drunken driving charges following his arrest last month while at school.

44-year-old Michael Dennis Fletcher, a teacher with Huron Valley Schools, entered guilty pleas this week to charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle without having a valid operator’s license. They stemmed from a 2018 incident in which he was arrested by White Lake Police after failing a breathalyzer test.

Those were nearly the exact same circumstances that led to his arrest last month at Lakeland High School after a breathalyzer showed his blood alcohol limit was more than four times the legal limit. The school’s resource officer administered the test around 8am after being alerted by administrators that Fletcher appeared to be intoxicated. The Breathalyzer indicated a blood alcohol content of .354%. The state’s legal limit for driving is .08%. Fletcher, a West Bloomfield resident, admitted to drinking alcohol before driving to school that morning. Charges remain pending for that incident.

He’ll be sentenced on the 2018 charges November 25th. After telling the judge he is enrolled in an intensive 12-step substance abuse program, she allowed him to switch from an electronic tether to an at-home alcohol monitoring system that requires tests twice a day. Fletcher remains employed by the Huron Valley District, although officials say he is not allowed back on campus until his legal issues are resolved to their satisfaction. (JK)