Prom Drinking Controversy in the ‘Burbs

More than 20 students were suspended after being accused of drinking

More than 20 Methacton High School students were suspended for five days after last weekend's prom. They're accused of drinking. 

The district promises to conduct a thorough investigation and while some parents are calling for tough action, there are also accusations that some of the kids are being unfairly punished

"From my point of view, a lot of kids got in trouble that shouldn’t have," one of the students, who didn't want to be identified, told us on Wednesday.
 
The teens accused had all taken the same rented bus to the Valley Forge Convention Center on Saturday. A couple of kids in the group did get caught drinking, according to the student. Then all of them were rounded up during the prom, and given two choices, he says:
 
"They basically gave the kids the opportunity to either take it with the school and get suspended or get involved with the law and take a breathalyzer. A lot of kids were pressured into that situation to just admit it whether they were [drinking] or not," he said.

Some parents aren't too sympathetic.
 
"I just think it’s a shame that that many kids A) missed out on it and B) made a stupid choice that could impact the rest of their life," said Christine Capece.
 
At a school board meeting on Tuesday, the superintendent said "the results of that investigation will involve the discipline of those students involved,” and that he is “grateful a tragedy did not occur,” and “that adolescent alcohol abuse is extremely serious.”
 
"As of right now, we have detectives and state police at our school questioning everybody who did get suspended, they’re trying to find out where the alcohol came from, who was involved," the student said, and he insists not everyone who got in trouble was involved.
 
The superintendent also said that the results of the investigation will be treated with the same confidentiality as any matter of student discipline.
 

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