Verona BOE: Chaperones Allegedly Partied on Fifth-Grade Trip
Board promises policy changes for future trips, dismisses punitive actions after fathers allegedly drank, lit fires, left cabins unattended.
[UPDATED: 9:30 p.m. Wednesday]
The Verona Board of Education said it will tighten its rules about chaperoning class trips after a group of fathers supposedly held a party in a cabin during a fifth grade camping trip.
H.B. Whitehorne Middle School Principal Yvette McNeal emailed details of the incident in a letter to parents of all fifth graders earlier in the week. Additional details were learned at Tuesday night’s meeting, including information the fathers, who were supposed to be chaperoning the 10 boys, left them without a chaperone while they lit fires and drank alcohol at another cabin during a five-hour party.
“These fathers should be banned from future class trips,” said Palma Quagliata, a parent of a fifth-grader on the trip. “A message needs to be sent.”
“I’m appalled,” said Quagliata. “It became very clear these men planned this party.”
According to Quagliata the chaperones involved in the incident brought snacks, firewood and alcohol with them to Camp Bernie, all of which was clearly prohibited.
Quagliata asserted the next day the party was being discussed openly and became referred to as the “party for the football boys.”
“They did this simply to elevate their sons,” Quagliata said. “This is just horrific. The kids are left with this impression of the haves and the have-nots.”
Superintendent Steven Forte announced new procedures would be put in place to select and approve chaperones. Class trips will now require background checks of all chaperones and may include the accompaniment of a police officer although Forte maintains the police presence is not in response to the recent incident.
Forte declined taking further action, noting he had discussed the matter with the chief of police and no laws had been violated.
However, parents were not assuaged.
Legal action notwithstanding, Amy Ambrosio who attended the trip as a chaperon, urged the board to enforce the school’s own policies, claiming only by penalizing those who blatantly disregarded the rules would the board be able to convey “to the school and the community that there are consequences.”
The alleged offenses listed by Ambrosio were broader than those mentioned in the school’s letter and, if true, could have jeopardized the safety of the students.
According to Ambrosio, several fathers left their assigned cabins with their sons to attend a party in another cabin, in some cases leaving childrens unattended.
During the five-hour party, the fathers proceeded to drink alcohol in front of the kids, light fires in an outside fire pit as well as in the cabin’s fireplace, and occasionally left kids unattended by the fire.
Ambrosio said the incident allegedly occurred despite a chaperone meeting held to review the rules, which explicitly state no outside food was to be brought in because of the danger of attracting bears, no fires were allowed, and all chaperones were to remain in the cabins with their charges.
Breaking the rules has parents demanding more action be taken by the school.
“If the school can’t enforce rules of conduct, then it shouldn’t run this trip or any other trip,” Ambrosio stressed.
Quagliata also pointed out the school has not addressed the incident with the students, a large portion of whom are aware of the events.
“The board has to let kids know that parents drinking in front of 11-year-olds is wrong,” insisted Dr. George Ambrosio, who cited numerous statistics about underage drinking. “If you tolerate this you are making a huge mistake.”
C-dub
4:37 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
What's the big deal? Don't fathers do this on camping trips all the time? Lighten up people. Not that big of a deal.
DARIA
9:06 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Are you for real?
Kids WERE involved -- it was a "sporto" thing the fathers were pushing, to make their kids feel/seem more important because they're footballers. They're getting away with this, so the lesson is "rules don't apply to me because..."
That's a slippery slope.
C-dub
4:37 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
“The board has to let kids know that parents drinking in front of 11-year-olds is wrong,” insisted Dr. George Ambrosio, who cited numerous statistics about underage drinking. “If you tolerate this you are making a huge mistake.”
No. Drinking with kids is terribly wrong, but if I have a beer in front of my kid at dinner or at a 4th of July BBQ then I have done nothing wrong. People need to take a step back, take a deep breath and relax.
Robert
5:18 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Your comment shows a short sightedness. If I were entrusted with others children, I would not participate in any activity that would be negligent and putting others at risk for a cheap thrill. No one can help what you do in front of your children, but If I were you I would start questioning it if you think this behavior is acceptable.
Valerie
10:23 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
No having a beer responsibly in front of your kid during a bbq isn't a problem. Taking pictures of intoxicated men in their underwear and posting them on instagram raises the flag of inappropriateness and the reported dry heaving in the bathrooms the following morning pretty much confirms that they weren't just having one or two beers. Hey, if you think it's okay to raise your kid to do beer funnels and crush beer cans on his head, more power to you, but you don't do it on a school function.
barry_geltzeiler
10:34 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
I am all for partying and having a good time. I do it often BUT when you are chaperoning a school function and representing the BOE as a volunteer or employee there is no place for alcohol. Can you imagine the lawsuit and jail time if one of the kids were injured or killed while the "responsible adults" where too busy partying. You want to get drunk, do it on your own time, take your volunteer position seriously or dont volunteer!!!!
DARIA
1:44 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
It's been said that one of the kids left sleeping had an asthma incident. I wonder if any of these fathers are on the VMAC "safe homes" list.
Angie
8:49 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Chaperoning a child's school trip is no place for an insane party where some kids are left alone in their cabins. Its not a place for a party for the adults. They can do that on their own time. The chaperones are there to watch the kids, not party. I don't know why anyone would think that it would be ok to get insanely drunk and leave kids alone. Don't chaperone the trip then! If the BOE doesn't do something about this and make an example out of these extremely irresponsible individuals, I'm going to consider sending my children to private school. What happened is reprehensible.
Would you put up with the teacher's throwing a kegger at lunch period? Absolutely not! These parents are volunteers on a school-sponsored trip. In what world would this type of debauchery be ok to take place? And this is now an example set for a group of impressionable 11 year olds. If you don't mind setting this example for your child that is fine but maybe others do not want their child exposed to that kind of reckless behavior.
I heard that a child had an asthma attack in the night and couldn't find an adult. What if it was serious? Is life that bad that you had to have a drink on a child's school trip?
I could go on forever but I won't. I can't believe there is even another side to this arguement.
DARIA
1:44 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Angie, it's been 5 years since I chaperoned at Camp Bernie, but the attitude of chaperoning parents was just as careless then. And don't think it's limited to the men. Ladies in one quadrant of my cabin refused to honor the 11 PM bedtime rule, because "We're NOT as school. This is a FUN trip!"
It's a pity that people think they are exempt from rules. I feel for the parents whose children were neglected by the arrogance of a parent (who was entrusted with the welfare of other people's children) who put their petty desires ahead of their duty.
Knowing how things usually happen in suburbia, this will all get swept under the rug, but the incident really should be examined for ways of making sure that the BEST chaperones are chosen for such trips in the future.
Robert
8:16 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I can't believe that the BOE would decide not to punish those chaperones involved, or prevent them from being chaperones in the future. For one thing, it leaves the BOE open to lawsuits if one of these guilty chaperones were involved when a child becomes injured at another event. I know I would definitely getting a lawyer and wouldn't fault anyone else who chooses to do so. If the BOE doesn't ban these people from being future chaperones, then We as citizens of Verona should have a petition to have the BOE ban these people!
Robert
10:07 am on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Please sign the petition at:
http://www.change.org/petitions/president-board-of-education-ban-certain-irresponsible-individuals-from-chaperoning-future-verona-events
Let the BOE know that our children have to be in a safe environment and should be learning good behavior at school events.
John
8:25 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Does anyone know the web link and name for the Verona blog?
liz cundari
9:54 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
I am curious as to what type of punishment you think should happen. If it is preventing them from chaperoning in the future.... don't worry I doubt they would want to.