'Very intoxicated': Two educators arrested at Choctaw Nation casino

Monday, July 2, 2018  

Two educators weren't setting a good example for their students when they allegedly got drunk at a Choctaw Nation casino in Oklahoma and lashed out at security and law enforcement personnel.

The McAlester News-Capital broke news of the arrests of Jana Booth, the director of Indian education for the local school district, and Angela Menasco Key, a high school teacher. The educators were acting "very intoxicated" at the Stringtown Casino in the late evening of May 20, the paper reported, and now face a slew of charges in tribal and state court as a result of the mayhem.

According to tribal police documents seen by the paper, Booth "began screaming obscenities and [said] that she couldn’t go to jail because she was a director of education." She even claimed to be the daughter of a tribal official as she was arrested inside the facility.

Key, meanwhile, was so drunk that she was having trouble standing up, the paper reported. She was found in a car in the parking lot at a casino with a cup of liquor, a tribal officer said in an affidavit.

After claiming that she only "had a few beers to drink," a tribal officer found another beer can in the car and a three-liter box of wine “that was almost completely empty,” the paper reported.

Like Booth, she disputed her arrest. Key told the officer that “she’s a McAlester school teacher [who] doesn’t belong in jail,” the paper reported

But the drama didn't end at the casino. Booth, 56, became so combative at the jail in Atoka County that she had to be placed on the ground by female jailers, the paper reported. She ended up scratching one of them in the process.

Booth, who is a Choctaw citizen, has since been charged with outraging public decency by public intoxication in tribal court and two felony counts of assault and battery on a police officer in state court, according to the paper.

Key is facing four misdemeanor charges in state court, the paper reported. She does not appear to have been charged in tribal court.

Booth was booked into the jail on May 21, according to county records, and was later released on bond, the paper reported. Key's name does not appear on the roster. She was not charged until June 28, the paper said.

Despite the incident, Booth and Key remain employed by the McAlester public school district as of Monday, the paper said.

The Stringtown Casino is located on historic Route 69 near Atoka, in the southeastern part of Oklahoma.

Read More on the Story:
MPS teacher faces multiple charges (The McAlester News-Capital July 2, 2018)
MPS program director charged with assaulting officer, public intoxication (The McAlester News-Capital June 20, 2018)