Patricia Real Bird, a teacher and coach for the girls’ basketball team in the Lodge Grass school district, was apprehended on Wednesday following accusations of consuming alcohol during work hours, as reported by school authorities. There is a possibility that Real Bird may be charged with child endangerment. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is conducting an investigation, and it remains uncertain whether charges have been officially filed.
Real Bird is currently held in custody at the Rocky Mountain Detention Facility in Hardin as of Thursday. Notably, she recently assumed the role of the girls’ varsity coach, transitioning from her previous role as a standout player for Lodge Grass during the early 1990s.
Lodge Grass is in Big Horn County on the Crow Indian Reservation. The population was 441 as of the 2020 census.