Schools

UPDATED: Pictures of Melrose Student Athletes Drinking, Smoking Lead to Suspensions

The pictures were given on Tuesday, May 3 to Melrose High School administrators, who identified 11 students in possession of alcoholic beverages or tobacco.

Editor's note: This article was updated at 2:40 p.m. with comments from Superintendent Joe Casey.

Eleven students face suspension from their sports teams after pictures showing the students drinking and smoking tobacco were given to school administrators on Tuesday this week.

Superintendent Joe Casey announced in a press release on Thursday morning that school administrators identified the 11 students as in possession of "some type of alcoholic beverage or tobacco" in the photos, which "have been verified as being recently taken." Casey told Melrose Patch by phone that the the photos were given to school officials on a USB thumb drive, but could not say who provided the photos.

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In addition suspending the students from their sports teams, per school policy, the press release said that students will lose up to 60 percent of their sports season and "face other additional penalties."

According to the MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) handbook, for second and subsequent violations of the MIAA drug and alcohol policy, "the student shall lose eligibility for the next consecutive interscholastic contests totaling 60 percent of all interscholastic contests in that sport." Casey said that percentage takes into account how many games or meets are left in the sports season.

Find out what's happening in Melrosewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Team captains would be stripped of their captaincies and each student and his or her parent or guardian will meet with a member of the Melrose High School administration, Athletic Director Pat Ruggiero and School Resource Officer Robert Mann.

The students' suspensions go further than the disciplinary actions taken last September, when prior to the start of the school year, a packet of photos allegedly posted on Facebook showing Melrose High School students either using or in the .

While those students and their parents were both called in to meet with the school resource officer and school officials, they were not suspended from their sports teams. At that time, Ruggiero said that no disciplinary action was taken against the students because photos can be altered or manipulated, adding that officials could not determine when the photos were taken.

On Thursday, Casey said that the photos that came to light last September showed students with alcohol outside the school year and scholastic sports season.

"If we’re not in season and school hasn’t started, it’s basically not in our purview," he said. "But at the same time, we were concerned. So we met with the school resource officer, the students and their parents, saying, 'This is something you have to take ownership of in part,' because we partner with the parents.'"

The difference with these most recent photos, Casey said, it that the pictures were taken during the school year and scholastic sports season.

"We did something last time, but our ability to act is enhanced by verifying the pictures are current," he said.

Under Melrose High School's own drug and alcohol policy, a first offense results in the student being suspended for two consecutive games and/or suspended for four weeks as a member of any high school club or organization, as well as bring removed from any leadership position they hold in a sport, club, or organization.

Second and subsequent offenses result in a four consecutive game suspension—with the potential to have the suspension reduced to two games if the student takes part in an approved chemical dependency program or treatment program—and the students being suspended from the club or organization for the remainder of the school year or for a minimum of eight months, which can carry over into the next school year.

The press release said, "Melrose High School takes substance abuse very seriously and all student athletes are clearly educated every season regarding the rules and regulations as they pertain to drugs, alcohol and tobacco. These regulations are enforced in Melrose as in all other communities across the state. We believe that being an athlete in Melrose is a privilege and not a right and we will continue to partner with parents, students, and the greater community to keep our children safe and to help them make healthy and safe choices."

Also, all photos have been turned over to the Melrose Police Department to identify houses where "the parties took place," the press release said. "These houses will be identified and the Social Host Law will be strictly enforced."

After the incident involving the Facebook photos in September, two Melrose homeowners .

Melrose Police Lt. Mark DeCroteau said on Thursday that "from a photo, it can be difficult to determine whether it's (the home) even in our jurisdiction or not," but that the photos remain under investigation in order to enforce the city's ordinance. Melrose Police Chief Mike Lyle said he is "working cooperatively with the school department and local officials to identify the homes and the implement the social host law."


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