Board of Ed President on Intoxicated Teens [VIDEO]

The following is the complete text of Board of Education President Tom Belding's statement on Sept. 19, 2011 regarding after arriving for a Chatham High School pep rally under the influence of alcohol.

Students who remained at the pep rally behaved in what Principal Darren Groh described as unruly and rowdy, causing the rally to be ended prematurely.

Here is Belding's statement:

As you are all aware, a number of students were under the influence of alcohol when they arrived at our pep rally on Friday evening. Four students had to be taken to area hospitals; two of these required assistance before they arrived at the pep rally. We are grateful that this incident passed without personal injury and, hopefully, without lasting consequences to anyone’s health.

This is an issue of great concern, not only because of our interest in the health of the individual students, but because of the discord and discomfort it caused to the many students who went to the pep rally with best intentions and best behavior. Indeed, poor behavior by some has been disruptive to the entire student body.  

Those who served the alcohol or allowed it to be purchased and consumed bear first order responsibility. This is not the schools. The School District has strict policies against consumption of alcohol or other substances, and we enforce those policies, as noted in Mr. Groh’s report. We recognize that part of being a H.S. student is testing limits – but limits with alcohol can be dangerous; they can be life threatening. We all need to acknowledge this problem, and confront it.

As a Board, some of our concerns are:

• Was Friday night a coincidence, or was the Pep Rally in some way a catalyst for this behavior? Is it a sign of an underlying issue we can influence?
• Are our policies and procedures sufficient to discourage this behavior, and to moderate risks – particularly to individuals? Should we put more emphasis on substance abuse education, discipline, and communicating with parents?
• Do we need to permanently reconsider holding these types of events, or the punitive measures that apply if students violate our code of conduct?

We are guardians of the public schools of Chatham – and, while they are in our care, the students of this community – students who are surrounded by images that unduly popularize alcohol consumption. Within this reality, we – the parents, the school, and the community - must instill strong values, self-esteem and high expectations in these young people. It’s clear we can be doing a better job.

I have asked the administration to promptly review related policies and procedures, and prepare recommendations for the Board. These are to be reviewed in detail by the Policy and Curriculum Committees, with recommendations to the full Board.

Tom Belding

President, Board of Education

School District of the Chathams