Community Reflects on Alcohol-Related Incident at Stamford High

Although it happened three weeks ago, the community is still reeling from the that occurred at .

On Feb. 16, a 15-year-old student was rushed to Yale New Haven Hospital after being found intoxicated — her blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit — at Boyle Stadium. In total, eight students were arrested for charges that include reckless endangerment, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of alcohol.

While most have credited Stamford High staff members and administrators for handling the situation well, many are still grappling with how to reach students about the severity of alcohol.

“This is very concerning, especially given the ages of these students, the time of day, the amount of alcohol consumed and the place that this happened,” Hazel Katz, a mother and co-president of the Friends of Stamford High (FOSH), told Patch.

The scene at Boyle Stadium that Wednesday morning may be most concerning to both parents and teachers. After a student was found to be intoxicated inside the school, an administrator found a video on his phone of the 15-year-old female student. When authorities arrived, they found the girl lying on the field surrounded by students who all fled the scene. None of them had reached out for help.

“I can only imagine that perhaps they were afraid that they would get into trouble or as is with a lot of teenagers they were thinking that nothing bad will ever happen,” Katz said.

“Even if it were a situation in which everybody was wrong, the urgency is to get help for a fellow human bein — that’s the lesson,” Polly Rauh, president of the Stamford Board of Education, said.

The morning of the incident a letter was sent out to parents from Principal Donna Valentine.

“I am greatly concerned that some of our students were drinking vast quantities on school grounds," she wrote. "I am even more troubled that they did not call 911 after one of them became seriously ill. Please reinforce with your children that as a school community, we are responsible for each other’s safety and well being."

In addition the letter to parents, the high school hosted a on March 1. The forum included a panel of experts to address concerns, warning signs, and prevention methods on substance abuse for parents and the community.

“I thought the forum was very well put together and very informative," Katz said. "I think of myself as someone who keeps well informed on child development and there was still a lot to learn. The panel was very knowledgeable, professional and helpful."

Despite the positive feedback, the forum itself had a low turnout. “I was very disappointed that it was so poorly attended," Zatz added. "It was open to the entire community and there were approximately 40 people in attendance.”

Going forward, the school wants the community to be aware of their hotline that students can call — anonymously if they prefer — should any incident occur where they are concerned for someone’s safety.

“Kids who used to see me knew that I would say ‘Good news or bad news, it’s got to be true news,’” Rauh said of her days at . “If something was wrong, students could be open and honest. It was an accepting environment. Kids need to learn that responsibility to others.”  

According to Rauh, it’s a message that needs to be repeated.

“It’s not a one-time message,” she said. “It’s something you have to live and breathe.”