Ridgewood Project Graduation drinking charges prompt changes
JULY 4, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
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Eight graduates at Ridgewood High School’s Project Graduation celebration at Benjamin Franklin Middle School (BF) on June 25 were removed from the all-night party and found in possession or under the influence of alcohol, according to a police report. Of the eight, one was taken to Valley Hospital while the rest were released to their parents, police said.
Following the commencement ceremony on June 24, seniors were taken by bus to a dinner dance. Between the dance and Project Graduation, the teens have time to change out of their white dresses and tuxedos at home before arriving by their own transportation to BF at midnight. Police officers Shayne James and John Ward Jr. were stationed at the event and monitored the new graduates as they walked into the celebration until they left, around 6 a.m.
Superintendent Daniel Fishbein said on July 2 that students next year would be taken immediately from the dance to BF, where they will change to prevent time for the students to drink or get alcohol.
“We do all types of things from just talking to them and having the parents talk to them, but unfortunately kids are resourceful and hopefully that one change of not having time between when they get off the bus and get changed at home will help alleviate that,” Fishbein said.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/drinking-charges-prompt-changes-1.1046313#sthash.98dKBcP5.dpuf
Liquor was snuck in through the bathroom windows so going straight from the dinner to BF would not have made a difference.
Here is a quick list of questions regarding this policy:
1) Is 8 kids out of the whole graduating class worth inconvenience the rest of the class?
2) Where are they going to change?
3) Will bags me allowed in for their change of clothes? If so, are this bags going to be checked like your at the airport? You can hide much more in bags than a simple flask — just wrap a bottle with a tshirt and wont make a sound.
4) Are you going to have all those kids coming on a high from dancing and eating and have a mass changing?
5) Will this allow more kids to be spread out in the school causing the parents to have a harder time keeping track of people?
6) Could this open the door for sexual assault or other inappropriate behavior if you have a mass amount of 17/18 de-dressing in close proximity?
7) How do you prevent the tuxes/dress from being stolen or taken while the party is going one?
8) Will this display to the kids you do not trust them?
9) One main advantage of the break is allow the students to bring cars to BF during the break. Will BF parking lot be allowed to be used before graduation to allow students to drop off their cars? If so, will this cause a parking nightmare for people who are visiting BF prior to the seniors arriving?
Here’s a quick list of questions regarding this policy
1) who the F are you (RHS) to control the movements of my child?
Go to graduation – go home (like a free person not a prisoner) – get to the dance under own power.
Any school official who a) does not let my child come home after graduation and/or b) does not let my child into the dance when they arrive ontheir own power later in the evening will be looking at a lawsuit.
Sure, Anonymous. Sure.
The problem is, a small minority of kids go to great lengths to get drunk at this event. It’s almost a challenge to them to outwit what they see as a bunch of fuddy-duddies trying to find their liquor. If you want to talk real lawsuit liability, not the empty threat kind, then watch a bunch of Ridgewood parents sue the Village and the School for not preventing a drinking-related incident that even remotely harmed their precious child.
Sure, Anonymous. Sure.
The problem is, a small minority of kids go to great lengths to get drunk at this event. It’s almost a challenge to them to outwit what they see as a bunch of fuddy-duddies trying to find their liquor. If you want to talk real lawsuit liability, not the empty threat kind, then watch a bunch of Ridgewood parents sue the Village and the School for not preventing a drinking-related incident that even remotely harmed their precious child.
#3. Project Graduation is run by the parents but they must have the permission of the school. If you don’t like it then do not allow your child to participate. The volunteer parents will be on duty at the party and will enforce the entrance rules. Exactly who are you planning to sue?
Guess what, they cannot bring their own water bottles on the bus either. Project Graduation provides water on the bus. They think of everything – for a reason. If your child insists on bringing his/her own water bottle then he/she will not be allowed to go to the dinner dance.
And the students must take the Project Graduation bus to the dance. Lots of rules because it is not easy creating an alcohol free party for 400 students.
If you like, you can head up one of the open committee poditions for PG 2015.
If you could sue for not preventing drinking then high school dances and Backwoods would have been closed down long ago.
They should hold the minor/parent or 18 year old responsible for their behavior. After all, it is little johnnie who is breaking the law, violating policy and putting others at risk. After the poor baby has his stomach pumped he should be promptly handcuffed.
Why put a blot on their record? If they were 18 (from what I hear) they can vote, drive, get drafted and tried as an adult but can’t have a drink. How stupid is that? Totally moronic law….make 18 the drinking age…
Kids who are determined to smuggle liquor will do so. Parents and kids should have the right to be together briefly between events. Even after graduation, everybody has to stay after school because of a couple of bad apples–the year before? This new policy should be rethought. It’s ham fisted and won’t work anyway. There’s time to regroup and plan more logically.
Re:
“Sure, Anonymous. Sure.
The problem is, a small minority of kids go to great lengths to get drunk at this event. It’s almost a challenge to them to outwit what they see as a bunch of fuddy-duddies trying to find their liquor. If you want to talk real lawsuit liability, not the empty threat kind, then watch a bunch of Ridgewood parents sue the Village and the School for not preventing a drinking-related incident that even remotely harmed their precious child.
No an empty threat at all.
Not even a threat… a fact.
If my child gets forced to stay after graduation and is not allowed to leave or is refused admission to the party when arriving on their own power later in the evening, there will be a lawsuit.
BTW, I agree with you that “The problem is, a small minority of kids go to great lengths to get drunk at this event.”
However, the greater problem is the Draconian overreaction of the school. Who are they to hold my children hostage and not allow them to go home after graduation? Am I not allowed to celebrate with my own children after graduation before sending them to the party? What if there is a small post-graduation family event? Does the school think it has the power to retain my child because they were unable to control a handful of students the prior year? Which, btw, they DID effectively deal with those 25 students. Extending this “guilt by association” logic, maybe the school should ban the siblings of these 25 students from attending Project Graduation when they graduate – you good with that?
#10. Loves to threaten a lawsuit. Again, school employees are not at the party, it is run by PARENTS. who volunteer to work on the project for months.
Your swagger is silly. If you have a graduating child then volunteer your time to work the event. Maybe you can head up security. If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem.
The drinking age is 18. If you want to work to change the law then go ahead. Until that change happens your children cannot legally drink alcohol. If you want, you can have the keg party at your house. It has been done before. Parents who like to drink with kids do it all the time. You can figure out when to call the ambulance or the fire department.
#11 There is no real problem – it is just life.
This idiotic attempt to sanitize life is never going to work and it is ultimately counterproductive.
Besides the problem is currently being managed and handled effectively – the “Gang of Eight” were caught and dealt with.
“Eight graduates at Ridgewood High School’s Project Graduation celebration at Benjamin Franklin Middle School (BF) on June 25 were removed from the all-night party and found in possession or under the influence of alcohol, according to a police report.”
What happens when this newest “plan” doesn’t work? Strip searches? Colostomy bags and no bathroom breaks? Enough already.
Our fearless leader, Fishbein, stated what the REAL problem is:
“unfortunately kids are resourceful “
…and the one thing we DON’T want is resourceful kids.
Oh and regarding this ridiculous argument (do you actually read the comments or do you just reply in a knee jerk manner?):
“The drinking age is 18. If you want to work to change the law then go ahead. Until that change happens your children cannot legally drink alcohol. If you want, you can have the keg party at your house. It has been done before. Parents who like to drink with kids do it all the time. You can figure out when to call the ambulance or the fire department.”
Talk about silly swagger – throwing up a useless straw man is one of the indicators that your argument has no merit.
No one said anything about changing the drinking age or allowing minors to drink – IN FACT, its been stated that underage drinkers are being handled effectively – the 8 people were identified and removed from the party.