A private school was totally allowed to fire a teacher who let her students drink wine on a school trip to France—despite having parental permission—a judge has ruled. Judge Shlomo Hagler of Manhattan State Supreme Court ruled that The Calhoun School had a reasonable policy banning alcohol on school trips and as such was within its rights firing teacher Daniele Benatouil after a 2010 school trip.
"Having a glass of wine with a meal is absolutely a big part of the French cultural experience," Benatouil argued. "It’s very traditional—like having a hamburger in New York!" But Calhoun wasn't interested in tradition. Especially when some of the 18-year-old students who went on the trip showed a video in school of them sipping vino: "It was very difficult to witness the children having alcohol, given the expectations of our school," one administrator told Benatouil, according to court papers.
The problem for Benatouil is that Calhoun has a strict no booze policy for trips, even with parental permission. The teacher, who now works in the bilingual program at P.S. 84, had sued Calhoun for a year's salary and benefits and is now considering an appeal.
