A former Loudoun County teacher has been found not guilty of being drunk in public.
The charge stemmed from March 2013, when Michael L. Hitzges, of Ashburn, was accused of being under the influence at the Ashburn, Va., school where he taught.
Other school personnel notified the school's resource officer March 4, 2013 that a teacher at Broad Run High School was possibly under the influence of alcohol.
A Loudoun County jury found him not guilty Tuesday.
Hitzges' attorney, Todd Sanders, told News4 that his client is pleased with the verdict and maintains he was never intoxicated at school.
After the incident, Hitzges lost his job as a biology teacher and part-time driver's education instructor for Loudoun County Public Schools. He had taught at the school since 2004 and had worked for the school district since 2002.
His attorney said Hitzges hopes to now return to teaching.
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Hitzges does face one more non-school related charge. He was arrested in January for public intoxication as he walked home from an Ashburn restaurant. His attorney says he also plans to fight that charge.
