A Portland School Board member faces a charge of drunken driving after she was stopped in Scarborough and failed a field sobriety test, police said.

Jenna Vendil, 30, who is completing her sixth year on the board, was charged with operating a car under the influence of alcohol on June 27.

Vendil was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze when she was spotted driving erratically by a Scarborough officer at 11:11 p.m., police said. She had just pulled out of the McDonald’s on Route 1 and was headed north. She was pulled over on the Interstate 295 connector, police said.

Vendil apparently was alone in the car, police said. She told police she was coming from a friend’s house.

Police would not release the results of a breath test pending her July 29 court date in Cumberland County Unified Criminal Court.

Vendil was elected to the School Board in 2009 and was selected as one of MaineToday Media’s 40 Under 40, a list of emerging young leaders in the state.

Vendil is completing her second term on the School Board representing District 1 and has taken out papers to run for a third term, although she has not submitted them yet.

Sarah Thompson, chairwoman of the School Board, said Vendil notified her and other board members last week about what happened.

“She has been very professional about the matter, taking ownership of the issue and letting board members know,” Thompson said Monday evening.

Thompson said she is unaware of any provisions in the City Charter or in School Board policy that would require action by board members. For now, she will leave it up to Vendil to decide how to proceed.

“It’s hard when you are in the public eye,” Thompson said. “People hold you to a higher standard.”

Vendil’s LinkedIn page lists her most recent position as director of field organizers for the Democratic Party in southern Maine during the last legislative races.

The School Board’s code of ethics, signed by each board member, makes no reference to personal behavior. It does say board members will uphold state law, but that is in the exercise of board duties.

A telephone message left for Vendil on Monday was not returned.

The School Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday night. The board will meet in executive session at 6 p.m. in Room 250 of Casco Bay High School. Thompson said the board will enter into public session at 6:30 p.m. and vote to appoint an interim superintendent of schools.

The appointment of an interim superintendent to replace outgoing Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk is the only item on the board’s agenda.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com

Twitter: MaineHenchman

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

Twitter: DennisHoey

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