County ed board to discuss supe’s arrest

By Kathryn Reed

The El Dorado County board of education has called for a special closed session meeting on Saturday to discuss the second driving under the influence arrest of Superintendent Jeremy Meyers.

While the agenda for the Nov. 7 10am meeting does not specifically say that, it is what will be discussed. The agenda item is listed as “anticipated litigation”.

Jeremy Meyers

Because Meyers is an elected official the board does not have the legal right to suspend or fire him just because he was arrested. However, state law does allow the board some leeway if it is deemed Meyers is mentally or physically unable to do his job.

Meyers was arrested the afternoon of Nov. 5 after crashing his personal truck into a utility box on Green Valley Road in Placerville.

He faces four misdemeanor charges: driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.08 percent, diving with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.15 percent, and violation of probation. Had even one of the charges been a felony the school board would have recourse to remove Meyers.

The California Highway Patrol has not released Meyers’ exact blood alcohol level, but said it was close to double the legal limit.

He has posted the $17,500 bail after being booked into the El Dorado County Jail in Placerville.

Meyers’ other recent DUI was in June to which he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to five days of house arrest. That, too, was a midday, workday arrest where he had a 0.15 blood alcohol level.

The office of education’s official response was this, “The El Dorado County Office of Education has learned that county Superintendent Jeremy M. Meyers was arrested (Thursday) afternoon for driving under the influence. While unfortunate, we will continue to work together and deliver high-quality support to our countywide programs, school districts and community.”