Seattle high school principal on leave after DUI, reckless endangerment arrest
The Brief
Chief Sealth International HS principal Ray Garcia-Morales was arrested for DUI and reckless endangerment over the weekend.
The school district put him on administrative leave until further notice.
We are still working to confirm if his charges were dropped and case closed like the school district claimed.
SEATTLE - The principal of West Seattle's Chief Sealth International High School, Ray Garcia-Morales, has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested for driving under the influence and reckless endangerment.
According to a memo sent to Seattle Public Schools parents, Garcia-Morales was arrested Sunday by police for driving under the influence and reckless endangerment.
The King County Jail roster shows Garcia-Morales was released from jail just after 7:00 p.m. Monday, meaning he was in jail through Monday when students returned to class.
What we know
The district announced Garcia-Morales has been put on administrative leave until further notice, with assistant principal Hope Perry serving in his absence.
Officials also say the case against him is dropped and no charges were filed.
What we don't know
FOX 13 Seattle cannot confirm this, as his case status is listed as "dropped" in the jail roster, but his charges remain awaiting trial, meaning the City Attorney's Office could still elect to file charges at a later date.
FOX 13 Seattle has reached out to the offices of the Seattle City Attorney's and the King County Prosecuting Attorney, and are waiting to hear back.
The Source
Information comes from Seattle Public Schools.
18-year-old arrested in connection to multiple strong arm robberies in WA
College student shot in both legs while inside Lakewood shopping center
14-year-old dies in South Seattle, mother arrested
Remembering Alaska Airlines Flight 261: 25 years since tragic crash
Former Sumner basketball coach found guilty of sexually abusing players
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: 'Iceberg is ahead'
FIRST ON FOX: A House committee witness who was called out by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California during a hearing this week is pushing back after the congressman unearthed a past social media post on Social Security in an attempt to discredit his testimony. During a House oversight DOGE subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Garcia grilled Power the Future CEO Dan Turner while holding up a posterboard of a past tweet calling Social Security a "government-sponsored Ponzi scheme." "Madoff went to jail for it. Congress runs on it," the post said. "I should be able to keep 100% of my money and not watch government waste it with a paltry percentage return." Garcia then suggested that post was evidence that Turner lacks the credibility to be testifying about the billions of federal tax dollars directed to left-wing NGOs. Social Security Commissioner Breaks Down Plan To Save Agency From Insolvency "A Ponzi scheme and so I think it's interesting, of course, as one of our Republican witnesses is calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme, and that's the person that we should be taking advice from here today," Garcia said. Read On The Fox News App "Without Social Security, 22 million people would be pushed into poverty. That includes over 16 million seniors and nearly 1 million children. And in fact, Elon Musk has also said and agreed with you, sir, that this is a Ponzi scheme. I think it's ironic that you are one of our witnesses talking about efficiency when you want to attack the single best program that we have to support people not just out of poverty, but across this country to uplift them, to ensure they can afford a decent life." Fox News Digital spoke to Turner, who stood by his post and outlined his belief, echoed by many, that Social Security is structured like a Ponzi scheme by definition. Sen Elizabeth Warren: Social Security Is Under Attack. Gutting It Is A Broken Promise "Rep Garcia does not know the definition of Ponzi scheme," Turner said. "Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi, demanding more and more people at the bottom pay in to fund the people at the top, expect our demographics have this now reversed. The system will default. Mr. Garcia nor I will likely never see a dime. That should worry him more than my social media feed." Turner told Fox News Digital that if Garcia's staff were to spend as much time trying to save Social Security as it did "combing through my social media" then "perhaps the Ponzi scheme can survive long enough for me to get a small percentage of what the government confiscated during my lifetime." Turner explained that his father had received a "paltry percentage" of what he paid into the program and the the government "kept the rest" when his father died. "That's not just a Ponzi scheme, it's government greed and politicians running a money-laundering operation to get reelected. No one should be compelled to pay into a failed system, yet in a free America, you don't have that choice." In addition to Turner and Elon Musk suggesting that Social Security is by definition set up like a Ponzi scheme, Fox News Digital previously spoke to James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, who said the characterization has "validity." 'Failure's Not An Option': Trump Budget Bill Will Be 'Big' Help For Seniors, Top House Tax-writer Says "A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors," Agresti said. "That's the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that's exactly how Social Security operates." Agresti explained to Fox News Digital that Social Security, a program mired for decades with concerns about waste, fraud, and improper payments, "doesn't take our money and save it for us, as many people believe, and then give it to us when we're older" like many Americans might believe. "What it does is, it transfers money when we are young and working and paying into Social Security taxes," Agresti said. "That money, the vast bulk of it, goes immediately out the door to people who are currently receiving benefits. Now, there is a trust fund, but in 90 years of operation, that trust fund currently has enough money to fund two years of program operations." The trust fund only being able to last for two years is not a result of the fund being "looted," Agresti explained, but rather it was put in place to "put surpluses in it" from money that Social Security collects in taxes that it doesn't pay out immediately and pays interest on. "The interest that's been paid on that has been higher than the rate of inflation," Agresti said. "So, the problem isn't that the trust fund has been looted. The problem is that Social Security operates like a Ponzi scheme." Democrats have vocally pushed back against efforts by Republicans and DOGE to reform Social Security or make cuts to what they say are examples of wasteful or improper spending from the department. "There's been a lot of misinformation about that as of late," Agresti told Fox News Digital. "You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they're paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially." Agresti told Fox News Digital that the current administrative overhead for Social Security is $6.7 billion per year, which is enough to pay more than 300,000 retirees the average old-age benefit. "Every single study shows social security going completely bankrupt in the next few years. Garcia and other democrats know the iceberg is ahead but rather than turn the ship, they are yelling at the iceberg about the senior citizens onboard," Turner said. "This Ponzi scheme is collapsing fast, and turning my tweets into posters is not going to stop it."Original article source: House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: 'Iceberg is ahead'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
North Adams man sentenced to prison for assaulting child
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A North Adams man pleaded guilty to five charges involving assaulting a child in Berkshire Superior Court on Thursday. Springfield man sentenced to life for 2021 Chicopee murder Berkshire District Attorney's Office Chief of Operations Julia Sabourin shared in a news release that in 2022, 37-year-old Jesriel Morales of North Adams allegedly assaulted a six-year-old child. Morales reportedly slammed the child into a window and wall, hit them with a belt, slapped them, and forced them to kneel on dried rice. On Thursday, Morales pleaded guilty to three counts of Aggravated Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon on a Child and two counts of Assault and Battery. He was sentenced to two and a half years in the Berkshire House of Corrections, followed by two years of probation. Morales was also ordered by the judge to have no contact with the victim and to participate in the Fatherhood program. 'I am pleased with the guilty plea,' said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. 'Jesriel Morales preyed on the most innocent member of society. Today, my thoughts are with the very young victim. I hope this conclusion provides them some peace and feeling of safety and security.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ghost guns, drugs seized from Franklin County apartment
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A search at a Franklin County apartment in May led to the seizure of multiple 'ghost guns' and drugs, charging documents show. Charges were filed Wednesday against Giovanie Alvira-Garcia, 33, of Chambersburg, after detectives searched an apartment in the 1000 block of SummerBridge Court in Guilford Township on May 20, according to charges filed by the Franklin County Drug Task Force. 400+ bags of marijuana seized after high-speed I-78 chase The charges show two 9mm 'ghost gun' pistols that had no serial numbers were found inside the apartment, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy pills, marijuana, and packaging material. The drugs seized had a combined weight of over 500 grams, or 1.1 pounds. 'A 'ghost gun' is a homemade firearm assembled from unfinished gun frames and receivers, often purchased from companies that sell gun parts or parts kits that buyers can use to construct firearms at home, according to Brian Zeiger's firm's website. Alvira-Garcia was sitting inside a vehicle on the property when he was taken into custody after the apartment was searched, the criminal complaint shows. More drugs were found in the vehicle as well, police say. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Alvira-Garcia also has a prior conviction on a drug charge from 2015, meaning he legally can not possess a firearm, the complaint shows. He faces four felony charges of manufacture, deliver, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, and two felony charges of possession of a firearm prohibited. He also faces six misdemeanor drug charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.