A highly-placed administrator with Marblehead's public schools has resigned in the wake of allegations he was driving drunk with a loaded .38 on his hip.

Kevin Meagher, 47, of Saugus was the interim business manager for the district. Superintendent Greg Maass announced Meagher's resignation Wednesday in an email to staffers.

Meagher was released on $2,500 cash bail Tuesday after his arraignment on charges including operating under the influence (second offense) and being a licensee carrying a loaded weapon while intoxicated.

He also faces charges of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lane violations and speeding.

On Monday night at 8:14 Meagher was stopped by police after his Ford Expedition almost hit a cruiser on the outbound side of Atlantic Avenue by CVS, officer Daniel Katz said in the police report.

The report says that Meagher was repeatedly belligerent with the officer.

A person who answered the phone at Meagher's home on Tuesday said the educator had no comment on the allegations.

The officer stated that Meagher slurred his speech, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and a strong odor of alcohol came from his breath.

Meagher allegedly told police he'd been at the Barnacle drinking.

After his arrest, an officer found a loaded Smith & Wesson 38-caliber handgun in a holster in Meagher's pocket. The administrator allegedly hadn't told police about the firearm.

Meagher is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on March 11 in Lynn District Court.

Meagher was formerly the Winthrop schools' finance director until he resigned in February 2011, according to an earlier Winthrop Transcript article.

He was hired as interim business manager for Marblehead schools before the start of the 2011 school year, according to an earlier Lynn Daily Item article.

For more on this story, please see Patch's previous coverage:

Updated: School Administrator Faces Second OUI, Gun Charges