Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' chief communications officer was arrested and charged with driving while impaired Thursday night.
Stephen Esposito, the district's chief of strategic communications and engagement, was stopped at a license and safety checkpoint on Idlewild Road near Interstate 485, court records show. The arrest was first reported by WSOC-TV.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer wrote in an affidavit that Esposito had a strong odor of alcohol and red, glassy eyes, and he acknowledged that he had been drinking.
A breath-alcohol testing unit registered a 0.11; North Carolina's legal limit for drivers is 0.08. The officer said Esposito performed poorly on field sobriety tests and provided two positive breath tests.
In a statement, CMS said it was aware of the arrest but would have no further comment because of state confidentiality laws: "The incident is unrelated to district operations or school activities.” Esposito did not respond immediately to inquiries from WFAE.
The arrest comes at a perilous time for the school district, after the school board narrowly and unexpectedly voted to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill at a tense meeting Tuesday. Board member Stephanie Sneed resigned as chair following Hill's accusations that Sneed routed public money to a consultant without Hill's or most board members' knowledge.
The school board also released a summary of a two-month investigation into Hill that found no evidence she engaged in improper conduct — though the investigation identified areas where the school district could improve, including "workplace culture, certain personnel decisions, the handling of vacant positions, and district contracting."
District Attorney Spencer Merriweather has requested a state criminal investigation into "financial irregularities" at the school district, and the office of North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek has also opened an investigation into financial matters at CMS.
Four of the school district's nine cabinet members have announced plans to leave the district. Esposito is also a member of the cabinet.
