New Canaan Public Schools worked closely with police through the department’s recently concluded investigation into a youth drinking party in March, officials say, and suspensions for students involved followed the district’s established policies for athletes.
In general, district officials including New Canaan High School’s athletic director and principal will speak to students on learning of such parties to “figure out what happened and then make decisions based on what we believe to be true and what our policies are,” according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi.
“We have been working with police and the police have been establishing a diversionary program,” Luizzi said, referring to an initiative developed by Police Chief Leon Krolikowski under which kids found with alcohol at youth parties are offered an educational program in lieu of a possession of alcohol by a minor criminal charge.
Thanks in part to strong collaboration between the schools and police, students and families were offered the diversionary program and those eligible all chose to undergo it, Luizzi said.
Krolikowski confirmed that the kids referred out of the March 25 underage drinking party on Oenoke Ridge Road will form the inaugural diversionary program class.
“I do think the entire town needs to get together and figure out how everyone can begin together to address this,” the chief said of underage and excessive drinking in New Canaan. “It’s not just the police department and it’s not just the Board of Ed, but the parents primarily and they need to intervene and report these to us.”
Krolikowski added: “It all circles back to parents, whether their kids are the host or guests at these types of parties, and they [the parents] know.”
The March party resulted in arrests, one of which triggered suspension for a senior varsity athlete from one of the high school’s teams, under the district’s own policies and guidelines.
Outlined here in the “New Canaan High School Parent/Student Handbook,” they call for athletes to at responsibly on campus and outside school.
“If there is an allegation of off campus athletic or school policy violations, the athletic director and administration must investigate the matter,” the handbook says. “If the allegation is confirmed it shall result in disciplinary action.”
In this case, following a decision arrived at collectively by coaches, that included 3-day suspensions for students across multiple sports, district officials said.
Here are additional administrative guidelines for use or possession of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs:
First Offense
- A student, after confirmation of a first offense, is put on probation for 10 calendar days. During this probationary time, the student:
- will participate in practices/meetings at coaches discretion;
- may not participate in any competition/performances;
- will attend a meeting with parents, Athletic Director/Administrative Representative;
- will be required to meet with the NCHS Outreach Worker for counseling referral;
- Voluntary admission of an offense may reduce the period of ineligibility by half and is applicable to the first offense.
Second Offense
- The student, after confirmation of a second offense, will be suspended for the remainder of the current sport season. In addition, the student:
- will meet with the parents, coach/extracurricular advisor, Athletic Director and Principal;
- will be required to meet with NCHS Outreach Worker for counseling referral;
- will be ineligible for club recognition or awards and any post season team functions and awards.
Yes, as a parent I accept responsibility and know we can do a better job of modeling and demanding good behavior for our kids. And we must. Luckily, there are so many good resources in New Canaan for finding out how. It takes a village, and I see that law enforcement is changing its tack, from punitive to preventative consequences, but what I find surprising is the response from school: 3-day suspension for athletes. When students were caught drinking or using drugs when I was in high school I believe we were expelled. It was a really big deal, much more than 3 days conveys. Is there something “off” about that?
Miki thank you for posting your comment. My own take is, if every time a high school student in New Canaan was found to have been consuming alcohol—including at weekend parties in private homes, such as this one—they were subsequently expelled, then there would be very few if any kids left to graduate. (Such a punitive measure may also be illegal.) In this case, the suspension itself would have been more severe, I believe, if these kids were drinking at a school event (such as an athletic contest) or on campus.
Isn’t a “diversionary program” just a way to ensure kids don’t get criminal records? This seems like something that would encourage teen drinking, if they know the repercussions are not very severe.
Under state law, the first “possession of alcohol” offense for a juvenile results in an infraction summons, so that itself does not rise to the level of a misdemeanor crime and may be something to address with our legislators. The diversionary program, which is supported by the state’s attorney’s office, holds that it’s more effective to sit down and educate teens and families about alcohol abuse than to have the juveniles undergo the criminal justice system’s process for an infraction, which amounts to the same as a ticket for speeding or similar offenses. It may be worth running an initial group through the program and tracking the participants’ subsequent substance-related criminal offenses, if there are any.
Police need to hold Parents much more accountable, and PD needs to steep in with more rigor to bring this to court, for a judge ruling. The suggested ‘diversionary program’ sounds good, but was initiated following 2015 after “two high profile underage drinking parties”, so begs question if the program is sufficiently educating the Parents enough, to change behavior.
I don’t think so. There needs to be a full legal evidence-driven court-day, it’s the only way we will collectively wake-up, take note, especially Parents who are very lenient with this subject.
Otherwise, we are talking in circles again. It just can’t continue to be that easy for the PD, Coaches, School to give too many ‘second chances’ for both Parents and Kids via a 2×2 hour program, and 3 day suspensions – – they’ll just see that as laughable, and go back to their old ways with the self-congratulatory view that they have ‘beat the system’.
Fact remains that the 18 year ‘kid’ is legally an adult, and should absolutely have his day in court for his actions, and in particular diverging minors to join him. In my opinion, his Parents and associated Parents were ‘negligent’ at best, and also ought to have a day in court; mainly so that it’s not my or anyone else’s ‘opinion’, but the court of law.
I’d strongly advocate not to let another underage drinking party go down the same avoidance path that all have done previously. It otherwise leaves the culture unchanged and unchallenged, thus keeping the road paved for failed athletes, weak coaches, hands-off administration, irresponsible Parenting, giving further rise to future addicts and avoidable serious injury and deaths.
It is really in our town’s interest that this goes to trial and remains public – – and allow the evidence to have it’s day, and not allow an alternate agenda to prevail. The PD and the school athletics and education depts. have been too lenient historically, and this case seems to head that way yet again – – they owe it to the town, to do their job and get this to a proper judge ; not our own town judgments.
This is the first time the diversionary program will be used, so it isn’t clear how these youths will respond. Regarding the process for the teen arrested, that is unfolding now in the criminal justice system, so he hasn’t gotten away with anything. Again, under state law, the first instance of “possession of alcohol by a minor” is an infraction offense for a juvenile—the lowest level of any crime, a ticket. Whether harsher penalties under the law or the district reaching outside school grounds, hours and events to punish young people is the answer I don’t know, though it seems those steps at least would need to be one part of a larger solution.
Here are some additional details of the diversionary program:
1. State’s Attorney Colangelo is aware of the program and is supportive.
2. The New Canaan Schools Superintendent can refer youths to the program.
3. Youths under eighteen years old must bring a parent to the sessions.
4. Youths eighteen to twenty years of age can attend the sessions alone.
5. When eligibility is established, the youth’s parents, (or the youth if eighteen or older), receive
a letter and waiver from the Chief’s office. The parent/youth will decide:
(a) attend and complete the program, or;
(b) accept traditional enforcement.
5. If the parents/youth do not respond to our letter/waiver by a certain date traditional
enforcement follows.
6. The program is two Saturday sessions of two-three hours.
7. Members of the police department and an addiction psychiatrist lead the program.
8. The program provides information about the risks and consequences of underage substance
use. Participation is encouraged and all attendees take a pre-test/post-test to gauge
knowledge.
9. Attendees will have one opportunity to participate in the program.
10. Initially the program will be offered only to those youths that are at parties and are not
charged (but could have been) with an offense (i.e. possession of alcohol by a minor).
Making the parents more accountable is a likely backfire. Why do you think there is an epidemic of parents hesitating to call in the authorities (and possibly wasting precious time in the case of an injured party goer). If we want the kids to learn valuable lessons, then make them more accountable. I’ve yet to see where raising the drinking age from 18 to 21 has cured the problem– kids will be kids. Better that they learn early, while under Mom and Dad’s roof, than to go to college with no experience, and little supervision.
I remember hearing a statistic during last years opiod Addiction seminars that said the earlier a person starts drinking the more likely they are to have problems with alcohol later in life. You don’t need to enter college an experienced drinker! I think parents NEED the schools and sports teams especially to have more strict codes of conduct and consequences in place. In my opinion there is too much importance placed on winning the game or the having a great season when what should be way more important is the nurturing and teaching the qualities of an honorable and kind person. When a mistake is made, life isn’t over…but it’s also not quite the same. That’s character building.
That raises this question, in my mind: Couldn’t parents pull a son or daughter from a sports team if they choose, for any reason?
that’s my point Mike, leaving it solely up to the parents in a climate of super competitive, another-kid’s-gonna-take-my-kids-spot, then we might not make the team…then we might not get into college! is asking too much. Good parenting partnered with clear rules and consequences would benefit us all.
But if these are the prevailing sentiments—”another-kid’s-gonna-take-my-kids-spot, then we might not make the team…then we might not get into college”—then that is deficient parenting, isn’t it? It’s not “good parenting,” is it? The rules and consequences from police and the school district are written down—they’re clear—it seems like what you are saying is that they’re not severe enough, because there are some parents who will go no further with their own children. Do I have that right?
It’s not my style to criticize parenting (or get into a back and forth online). I am way out of my comfort zone. I think I’ll go back to keeping my thoughts to myself.
You should not expect the school to do the heavy lifting that parents should be doing. The current athletic code of conduct is fine. What has to happen is that it just needs to be enforced to it’s fullest extent. The athletic department talks a good game with the beginning of year “rights and privileges” speech but their execution of policies falls short.
Coming from a parent, as a practical matter I really would not want the school further involved. In terms of rights and privacy they are not required to follow 4th and 5th amendments as the law does. What you say WILL be used against you.
The simple answer is “Just follow the rules”
Understood, Margaret—did not mean to make you uncomfortable or argue. I am trying to understand whether people feel the district’s and police department’s policies are themselves unclear or are being communicated unclearly, which could be fixed. I think ours is a back-and-forth that New Canaan should have openly at some point, and when that time comes I think the discussion will benefit from residents’ willingness to be critical about parenting or a lack of it, as the case may be. I will add: I’m not commenting specifically on the underage drinking party that’s at the top of the news cycle now.