Simsbury Student Who Sold Tainted Brownies Expelled

A Simsbury High School student who sold brownies laced with marijuana on an October field trip has been expelled from school, according to minutes of a special Board of Education meeting held last week.

Much of the meeting was held in executive session. It was attended by, among others, the student, a parent, four board members, Assistant Superintendent Erin Murray, Principal Andrew O’Brien, the school resource officer and three attorneys.

The unnamed male student was expelled for one calendar year, retroactive to Oct. 24, after he “did, on Friday, October 23, 2015 sell and distribute a controlled substance while on school property and while participating in a school-sponsored activity and that such act is seriously disruptive of the educational process and constitutes an expellable offense,” according to the motion made by school board member Tom Frank.

An 11th grade English Language Arts trip to Salem, Mass. was delayed “due to a disciplinary matter while they were en route,” Superintendent of Schools Matt Curtis said at the time of the incident.

Several conditions were agreed upon related to the student’s expulsion:

a. During the period of expulsion, the Board will provide the student with an alternative educational opportunity, in accordance with the provisions of Section 10-223d of the Connecticut General Statutes. The student will complete coursework for core subjects and attain credit.

b. During the period of his expulsion, the student will not be permitted to be on school grounds and will not be permitted to attend or participate in any school-sponsored activities, with the exception of his participation in the alternative educational program or for the receipt of school provided services.

c. During the period of his expulsion, the student will comply with all Board policies, rules and regulations concerning student conduct.

d. During the period of his expulsion, the student will complete fifty (50) hours of community service.

e. If the student adheres to and meets the above-stated conditions he shall be readmitted to Simsbury High School at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year on a probationary status, subject to the Superintendent’s determination that he has successfully complied with the above-stated conditions. Upon readmission to Simsbury High School he will be on disciplinary probation for the remainder of the term of the expulsion. If the Administration determines, in its sole discretion, that the student has failed to satisfy the conditions set forth in this agreement or has committed any suspendable or expellable offense during the expulsion period, the probationary period shall cease and the Administration shall reinstate the remainder of the student’s expulsion.

Should the student complete the expulsion period successfully complying with the above-stated conditions, record of this expulsion shall be expunged from his cumulative student record at the completion of his expulsion period.