NORWICH – An annual winter dance at Norwich High School got out of hand on Saturday, ending with the arrest of a female student. Rumors have circulated all week about incidents which occurred during the Winter Snow Ball dance, held in the building’s cafeteria.
“Some students made some bad choices,” said Norwich Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan, adding that this behavior is not typical of what he has seen during his tenure with the district. “We’ve got good kids and this is very, very unusual.
“A student was reportedly intoxicated at the dance and had to be removed,” he said. The incident prompted the school to call police shortly after 10 p.m.
The 17-year-old female student allegedly spit in the faces of the two Norwich City Police Officers who responded to the call. She was later arrested and charged with two counts of second degree harassment before being released. The student’s name has not been released because of her age.
The student will likely face disciplinary action from the school in addition to the criminal charges pressed by the police. And she may not be alone; the superintendent said others who attended the dance may also face disciplinary action.
“We have a very strict code of conduct,” O’Sullivan said, “and we are carefully following it in this matter.”
While the disciplinary matter is being handled at the building level by Interim Principal Dr. Bob Cleveland, O’Sullivan said his office is involved “because of the severity of what has happened.”
The district office and the high school are working together to review current policies and procedures in order to change “how we go forward with these types of events,” he reported. The school’s guidance staff, social workers and faculty are also involved.
“I know teachers who have addressed this already in their classrooms,” said O’Sullivan.
“It was a wake-up call for a lot of people,” the superintendent said.