The principal of a Miami-Dade elementary school has been reassigned following her arrest on a DUI charge over the summer, NBC 6 has learned.
Deborah Darbonne, the principal for Wesley Matthews Elementary in Tamiami, was arrested back on July 21 after she was pulled over around 3 a.m. for speeding on U.S. 1 near Southwest 70th Street, according to an arrest report.
The officer who pulled her over she was driving 64 mph in a 40 mph zone, the report said. Darbonne had "bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred confused speech and a strong odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage coming from [her] breath," the report noted.
Darbonne told the officer she was heading home from Miami Beach and admitted to having one drink, the report said. When she performed breathalyzer tests she blew a .140 and .142, over Florida's legal limit of .08.
Darbonne, 46, was taken into custody and booked into jail. NBC 6 tried to reach her for comment Friday but was unable to.
Even though the arrest report lists her occupation as "human resources" for some reason, officials said Darbonne did self report the misdemeanor, but she remained in her role as principal.
But that all changed on Thursday after NBC 6 reached out to the school board and she was given notice of her removal as principal until the investigation is over.
Miami-Dade County Public School officials say she has worked for them for 23 years.
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"Although this is a non-school related incident, the District still holds all employees to a high standard of professionalism," MDCPS said in a statement. "While we await the court’s disposition, the employee has been removed from the regular school setting and administratively reassigned. If the courts conclude that the employee has violated any law, we will take all appropriate disciplinary action.”
