Bradley Leal, a 35-year-old high school football coach and mathematics teacher, was taken into custody early Saturday after a traffic stop in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Police said the arrest followed a red-light violation that nearly resulted in a collision with two other cars.
A Coach's Fall
According to the Weymouth Police Department, the officer on duty noted glassy eyes and the scent of alcohol on Leal, prompting a field sobriety test that the coach failed. The results provided probable cause for an operating-while-intoxicated charge.
A subsequent welfare check at Leal’s apartment uncovered his 15-month-old son asleep in a crib, unattended. The child was later released to relatives, and the discovery formed the basis of a child endangerment allegation.
Leal had been appointed head varsity football coach at Whitman-Hanson Regional School District only weeks before the incident, and he also teaches mathematics in the Plymouth Public Schools system while serving as a lacrosse coach at Pembroke High School.
Legal Repercussions
On June 14, the district accepted Leal’s resignation, citing the need to protect the integrity of its athletic programs while the legal process unfolds.
Leal has entered a not-guilty plea to the multiple charges, which include operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving and child endangerment. A court date is scheduled for later this month.