Update: County to Review Juvenile Drug Complaint

Story updated at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, 2011.

A student who was arrested last Wednesday at James Caldwell High School for possession of marijuana was suspended and awaits to hear from the county whether her case will be heard in juvenile family court.

A complaint of a juvenile in possession of less than 50 grams of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), which is the lowest threshold, was sent to the county for review, West Caldwell Police said.

The student’s name is not being released because she is a minor.

The student was disciplined with a five-day, out-of-school suspension and will be required to undergo counseling, according to James Caldwell High School Principal Kevin Barnes.

The discipline comes after West Caldwell Police confirmed with the district that the substance the student brought to school tested positive for marijuana, he said.

According to Barnes, the student will not be able to return to school without passing a drug test.

Barnes said no other students have been implicated in the incident.

"There was one student who was brought to our attention," he said.

Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools Superintendent Dr. Daniel Gerardi said that as part of standard procedure the high school principal conducted an investigation once it was learned that a student may have brought marijuana to school.

Police were contacted once the school discovered the student was in possession of what appeared to be pot. The student was arrested in the principal's office, police said.

The last CDS or drug-related arrest at James Caldwell High School was in January of this year, according to police. Prior to that there was an arrest in 2009.