Former Forest City schools employee charged with transporting students while drunk pleads not guilty

FOREST CITY — A former Forest City School District employee charged with OWI and child endangerment while transporting students has pleaded not guilty.

Court documents state that 44-year-old Rebecca Spencer was stopped by law enforcement on Cerro Gordo County Road B-14 just east of Apple Avenue at about 8:30 on the morning of March 12th. Spencer at the time was transporting children in a school van when she was stopped for speeding.

The complaint states that a preliminary breath test resulted in a blood alcohol content of .292, with another breath sample resulting in a reading of .244. Both are more than three times over the legal limit for OWI of .08 in Iowa for common drivers, but under state law, drivers of commercial vehicles including school transport vehicles are legally drunk behind the wheel when their BAC is at or above .04.

Spencer has been charged with second-offense OWI and three counts of child endangerment, all aggravated misdemeanors. She filed a written plea of not guilty to the charges on Tuesday in Cerro Gordo County District Court. Her trial is scheduled to start on June 22nd.