Benjamen Rhoades
HANCOCK COUNTY — Officials with the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation released a statement Wednesday morning saying they will retain teacher Benjamen Rhoades following a recent operating while intoxicated arrest and charge.
Rhoades, 44, 6200 block of Sampson Court, Indianapolis, was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated — endangerment stemming from a Feb. 20 incident in Shelby County.
While Rhoades will be allowed to return to school as a physical education teacher at the end of March, his status as head coach of the Marauders boys varsity basketball team is still in question.
Following Rhoades arrest, the school district placed Rhoades on paid leave while beginning a review of the incident per district policy.
“After significant consideration and due diligence related to Mr. Rhoades’ first-time offense, he will remain on leave through March 26 and return to his teaching assignment on March 27,” director of community relations Maria Bond said in the release.
His extracurricular position as varsity coach, however, is still under review and the timeline for the decision is undetermined.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials with the Shelbyville Police Department were called to the Indianapolis Casino, 4300 N. Michigan Road with a report of an intoxicated driver.
Rhoades was given a field sobriety test and had trouble passing a horizontal gaze test as well as a walk and turn test and a one leg stand test, the report stated. Rhoades was also given a portable breath test that registered a .218 BrAC. In Indiana the legal alcohol limit is 0.08 BrAC. When Rhoades refused to give consent for a blood draw, officials arrested him, received a warrant and took the blood work needed, the report stated.
Rhoades was back in Shelby County Superior Court 1 Monday. Court records show the judge set a bench trial for 1:15 p.m. Monday, April 3 and suspended Rhoades driver’s license.
Officials from Mt. Vernon noted in the release that district officials do not approve nor condone the behavior that led to Rhoades’ arrest, but felt he deserved a chance to redeem himself.
“We believe that Mr. Rhoades is seeking the help and support he needs to recover from this event and ensure that it does not happen again,” Bond said. “While it will take significant time, we expect him to prove that this one-time mistake does not define him as a person or a teacher, and that he will work diligently to earn the trust back of the MV community.”
