13-year-old with alcohol in school could face expulsion
A 13-year-old Glen Ellyn student could face suspension or expulsion for bringing a mixture of chocolate milk and Baileys Irish Cream to school last week.
The girl, a eighth-grader at Hadley Junior High School, shared the concoction with four or five other students before school began on Dec. 9, according to Principal Chris Dransoff.
“She said to her friends, ‘Try this.' One of kids figured it tasted funny. The student reported it to a teacher, then the teacher told the administration. Then we started investigating,” Dransoff said.
He noted, too, that the student did not seem especially concerned when she was caught with the alcohol, “like it was kind of funny.” The parents of the girl were unaware of the mixed drink, he said.
Glen Ellyn Deputy Police Chief Bill Holmer said no students appeared to be intoxicated when an officer arrived.
Under Glen Ellyn School District 41 disciplinary rules, possession of alcohol carries a minimum sanction of suspension. The maximum sanction is a 10-day suspension with the recommendation for expulsion. The school board makes the ultimate decision on disciplinary issues that rise to this level, Dransoff said.
Holmer said no citations were issued, but that authorities were “working with” the school and girl's family on enforcement actions.
Dransoff said alcohol possession by students at the school is rare, only happening one other time in his nine years there. He said health classes address issues related to alcohol and drugs, and speakers come in from time to time to address good decision making and goal setting.
“There's probably been junior high school kids involved with alcohol for eons,” he said. “But generally I think kids are being exposed to things at younger and younger ages.”