Harvard-Westlake Cancels Future Semiformals

Studio City-based will not hold any more semiformals in the wake of alcohol overdoses last weekend at a Hollywood party after a school dance, the head of the private prep school announced at a campus assembly Wednesday morning, according to the campus' online newspaper, The Chronicle.

Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts told students: “Semiformal as we know it is history."

Early Sunday, ambulances were called to Jane’s House, the site of a party held after a Harvard-Westlake semiformal dance at Madame Tussauds in Hollywood. Six intoxicated students, mostly sophomores and juniors, were transported to hospitals, said Head of the Upper School Harry Salamandra.

At around 1:30 a.m. Saturday night, police responded to a call that a female, age 16 or 17, had overdosed, said Karen Raynor, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Initial media reports said intoxication at the event included the abuse of gamma-hydroxybutric acid (GHB), a central nervous system depressant. The school did not confirm the use of GHB, according toThe Chronicle's story. 

Brian Humphrey, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, said there were 10-12 calls for medical attention in this section of Hollywood around that time Saturday night. He said it was possible that several teens were transported to the hospital from the same party at Jane's House, a club in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard.

Jane's House is an old Victorian home in the middle of Hollywood that is often rented out for private parties.

According to some Harvard-Westlake students, Jane's House and the Key Club hosted parties after the school's semiformal. About 900 students attended the semiformal.

Harvard-Westlake School is a private, coeducational college preparatory school with campuses in Studio City and Holmby Hills. 

A Harvard-Westlake student and promoter for the Key Club party said he left West Hollywood after midnight to catch up with friends at Jane's House. Just as he arrived, he received a text message that the party had been shut down.

"What we saw was pure mayhem," he said, noting that traffic was stopped on the block and at least three ambulances were parked on the curb across from the venue.

According to the student, the Jane's House party was organized by "Sick Pawdays," an exclusive club of Harvard-Westlake seniors.

On Sunday afternoon, the markings of a party could be seen outside the locked-up venue. Plastic cups, plates, blue and white ticket stubs that read "semiformal" were strewn about the back entrance.

"I heard there were a bunch of problems, windows being broken," said another student. He heard that at least one student had been taken to the hospital.

This appears to be the second year in a row that the semiformal's after-parties have been an issue. Two weeks after last year's event, The Chronicle ran an article about deans and faculty considering canceling future school dances due to problems arising from after-parties.