Hommocks Students Disciplined For Drug Use

An undisclosed number of Hommocks Middle School students were disciplined for smoking, selling and purchasing marijunana, according to a letter sent to parents on March 22.

According to school officials, the source of the marijuana was reportedly Mamaroneck High School students.

"Regarding particular students we identified, counselors and administrators met with parents, notified the police department, and in some cases, meted disciplinary repercussions.  When we return from vacation, we will plan a brief pause in the regular curriculum to immerse all students in a substance prevention educational program, directly addressing drug and alcohol use," the letter detailed.  

Mamaroneck District Spokesperson Debbie Manetta declined to comment further, citing legal requirements barring discussion of the investigation or the underage students involved.

A spokesperson for the Town of Mamaroneck Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Officials said several students who were interviewed indicated that smoking typically occurs off school grounds after school.

In response to the incident, the district is planning a middle school/high school parent meeting on April 23 in collaboration with the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Responsible Action: A Drug and Alcohol Resource (RADAR), a not for profit organization that works to reduce teen alcohol and drug use.  

The agenda will feature Dr. Bertha Madras, a professor of psychobiology at Harvard Medical School and a former deputy director for Demand Reduction in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.  Additional featured speakers will be Helene Fremder, Mamaroneck High School's social worker responsible for drug and alcohol prevention, and Dr. Mark Levy,director of the Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Counseling Agency.  The meeting on April 23 will take place in the Hommocks auditorium beginning at 7:30pm.  (A scheduling note for eighth grade parents:  The evening orientation to the Washington, DCovernight field trip has been shifted to 7:15pm on Monday, April 22.)