Fixing the message on drinking (Opinion)

The Washington Post

By Editorial Board

August 9, 2016

IT HAS been three months since the efforts of a Montgomery County high school principal to crack down on student drinking were undermined by higher-ups. Good, then, that some school officials seem to be worried that those events may have sent the wrong message about underage drinking. We hope their concerns lead to policies that put everyone on the same page in how to confront this critical issue.

Community uproar over the May events at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School prompted the school board to undertake a review of its policies on student drinking and drug use. The principal at the school had repeatedly warned that students who violated the rules to keep the prom alcohol-free would not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies. When she tried to follow through with students who had thumbed their nose at the rules, she was overruled by then-school superintendent Larry A. Bowers, who cited circumstances and board policy.

What is perhaps most sad about the incident is that the interference came at the behest of parents who, rather than setting the right example for their children, seemed not to place a high priority on following rules. Not being able to walk across a stage is a small price to pay to try to keep young people safe. Montgomery County too often has seen the deadly consequences of teen drinking, with at least three teenagers dying in alcohol-related crashes in less than two years. “We hold our breath every year, but it’s like Groundhog Day,” school board member Patricia O’Neill said of the tense spring season of proms and graduation parties when seniors are most vulnerable.

As part of its study, the school board is looking at the experiences of surrounding jurisdictions, including those that limit offending students from involvement in school activities or from graduation events. Board members also would do well to check in with the chaperones who worked this year’s prom at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and who noticed a marked difference in student behavior because of the principal’s warning about “significant school consequences.” For the first time in years, The Post’s Donna St. George reported, there were no ambulances at the after-prom party or mopping up of vomit. It’s now up to the school board to decide what kind of message it wants to send.