Pubdate: Wed, 15 Mar 2006
Source: Press-Enterprise (CA)
Copyright: 2006 The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact:  http://www.pe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830
Author: Tammy Mccoy, The Press-Enterprise
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

TEACHER IN DRUG CASE IN POST-REHABILITATION

Arrest Came While At School

A French Valley kindergarten teacher suspected last  year of being 
under the influence of cocaine while in  class recently finished a 
90-day substance-abuse  program, her lawyer said Tuesday.

Lynne Marie Filippini, 47, is living on her own and is  involved in a 
post-rehabilitation program, said defense  attorney Steve Harmon.

He said Filippini's two children are living with their  father. It is 
unclear if her divorce from Angelo Ray  Filippini has been finalized.

The French Valley Elementary teacher has pleaded not  guilty to three 
counts of misdemeanor child  endangerment, driving while under the 
influence, being  under the influence of cocaine and felony cocaine 
possession stemming from her two November arrests.

One of the three child-endangerment charges covers all  18 students 
in Filippini's class when she was arrested  Nov. 8 at school, authorities said.

The two other counts are for endangering her then  11-year-old son 
and 8-year-old daughter, who were in  her car when she drove to work 
on the day of the first  arrest, according to court records and authorities.

Temecula police arrested Filippini twice in November.

The first was at school on Nov. 8 for suspicion of  teaching while 
being under the influence of a  controlled substance, according to 
Temecula police.

Riverside County prosecutors did not file charges then  because they 
said more investigation was needed.

She was arrested again on Nov. 10 after police found 13  grams of 
cocaine during a search of her home, they  said. A drug test later 
showed a potentially lethal  amount of cocaine in her system, a 
prosecutor and  toxicology experts said.

Filippini is on a mandatory unpaid leave of absence.

Her next court date is scheduled for April 10.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom