Three of the five Glenelg High School students banned from their graduation after being suspended for appearing intoxicated at a senior dinner dance appealed the decisions to the Howard County superintendent.
“The ban was upheld, and none [of them were] allowed to walk across the stage,” said Patti Caplan, school spokeswoman. “We want the kids to know that the rules apply up to the minute that they graduate.”
She said the school system is prohibited from releasing the names of the students involved in the disciplinary actions.
Caplan said Glenelg Principal Karl Schindler reported that the students were “noticeably intoxicated” during the senior dinner dance last week.
The students were scheduled to graduate May 30 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia.
Schindler could not be reached for comment Monday.
Craig Cummings, who conducts suspension hearings for the superintendent, said 48 alcohol-related suspensions occurred last school year countywide, but said numbers for the 2005-06 school year were still being compiled.
The incident is expected to serve as a defining moment for the students, said Gail Reinking, president of the PTSA at Glenelg.
“I absolutely believe that all the students have learned an important life lesson and will move on,” she said.
Reinking said sometimes smart teens make poor decisions.
“The unfortunate reality is that there will always be a percentage of kids who will make poor choices,” she said.
Policies and programs to educate students about the dangers of alcohol and drugs and the consequences for consuming them remain a priority with the school system, Caplan said.
“This message is reinforced,” she said. “The students are very aware of what the policies are.”
Reinking said the PTSA plans to meet with the administration to discuss ways to be “creative and proactive” with the anti-drug message.
For example, she said the school will continue to partner with HC DrugFree, a nonprofit organization in Columbia that educates parents and teens about the dangers of alcohol and drugs.
“We?re always trying to find new ways to decrease the number of students that use alcohol and drugs,” said School Board Chairman Joshua Kaufman.
