Graduation party report released

PLAINS – The Montana School Board Association (MTSBA) has

completed its investigation and although they have determined

alcohol was present at the graduation party for Plains High School

on May 29 they were unable to prove any minor consumed an alcoholic

beverage.

PLAINS – The Montana School Board Association (MTSBA) has completed its investigation and although they have determined alcohol was present at the graduation party for Plains High School on May 29 they were unable to prove any minor consumed an alcoholic beverage.

“It pretty much clears the record on that night and I think all we can do as a school board is to use this as an example and try to do some additional education in the future,” Plains School Board member Ron Warren said during a special meeting last Tuesday.

According to an investigative report by the MTSBA handed out at the meeting, the party, held at the Sanders County Fairgrounds, was hosted by Plains School Board Chairman, John Holland, along with teachers Walt and Lorraine Hermiston and Carl Benson.

The report stated that Kerri Langoni, Field Services Specialist with the MTSBA, interviewed 14 people from July 2 to July 14. The three teachers along with Holland all declined to answer Langoni’s questions on the advice of their attorney. Their attorney advised them to remain silent due to the ongoing investigation by the Sanders County Sheriff’s Department.

In a letter to the school board the Sheriff’s Department stated that their investigation is complete and the case will be forwarded to the Montana Attorney General’s Office.

The report prepared by Langoni answered several allegations that were made after the party, the most serious being the allegation that the adults hosting the party served alcohol to minors.

“No person interviewed, who was present at the party, witnessed any of the adults hosting the party serve alcohol to an individual under the age of twenty-one years old,” the report read.

The report determined that two to three coolers containing beer were available for the guests and a beer pong table was on the premises. Hard alcohol, wine and a beer keg were not available.

The report also proved that the graduating senior, who was found the following morning and cited by the Plains Police Department for a DUI, MIP and open container violation, was present at the party; however it was not proven that the graduating senior became intoxicated at the party, which ended between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m.

Although the investigation found no evidence of minors consuming alcohol at the party, the 20 to 30 residents along with several school board members remained unhappy with the incident and what many called the culture of drinking.

School Board member Katy French said she found it “extremely alarming” that activities involving alcohol and minors were occurring around adults and nothing happened.

“We all need to do a better job to make sure in the near future that this board, the community and this school properly communicates and demonstrates this message (combating underage drinking),” French said.

The report said that one individual saw two high school graduates walk by, and each was holding an unopened beer at their sides. The witness did not see where the two graduates walked to with the beers and it could not be proven that the students drank the beers

Doctor Don Damschen, Vice President of CADAA (Citizens Against Drugs and Alcohol Abuse) and resident of Plains also voiced a desperate plea for the community to force a change of culture in Plains.

“I see this all the time in my practice,” Damschen said. “I see kids coming in that have obtained alcohol and I see the detrimental aspect of that and I see the tragedies that come from that.”

Damschen went onto to say that adults have to make the change and can no longer fail.

“We can’t afford to lose another kid in this community due to something we as parents have failed. We can do better,” Damschen said.

CADAA was originally started after a Plains student was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2003.

Board member Nick Lawyer said the school board should not dwell on the party any further and no one should harbor any ill will towards the individuals hosting the party and instead suggested looking at the feasibility of a code of ethics for school employees saying it is “sorely needed.”

This along with more education are two items that the school board decided will be topics of discussion in future meetings.

“I think we need to do some work with the adults, bottom line,” Warren said.