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Thursday, November 19, 2015


Dear Parents and Guardians, In light of concerns brought to us from several parents and the tragedy of last summer's car crash involving four Wootton High School students, we are reaching out to you with this important message. We have heard that at recent parties, students from our community have consumed alcohol---in many cases becoming very intoxicated---while the host parents were present. We hope this letter will be a strong reminder of the enormous dangers and consequences of underage drinking.As reported in the Washington Post, last summer at a party in Montgomery County, while a father was present and aware of what was going on, teenagers, many of them students or recent graduates of Wootton High School, drank alcohol, some heavily. Four boys left the party and crashed their car, killing two of them. The father and the student driver (who survived) are both facing criminal charges.While it is generous of parents to open their homes for a party, it is highly unethical and illegal to look the other way while teenagers are drinking. We hear stories of kids complimenting their friends on how cool their parents are for allowing drinking at their parties. It is not cool. It is dangerous, and it is illegal. On top of criminal penalties, there is a very real risk of civil liability if someone suffers harm or death.Drunk driving is only one possible consequence. If the police come to a party where there is underage drinking, the students and any adults present can be cited or even arrested. Intoxication can and does make teens vulnerable to sexual assault. There are health consequences of excess alcohol consumption, including alcohol poisoning and addiction. Further, the science is clear on the damaging effects of alcohol on the developing brain. For more, see these notes from a law enforcement presentation at Whitman High School and this article published in Bethesda Magazine.We all cherish our kids. We ask you to commit to help keep them safe. Please monitor your kids’ parties. If you see alcohol, confiscate it. Don't condone this dangerous behavior, and don’t turn away from what is going on.Let’s not wait for tragedy to strike our community before we act.In peace,Sidwell Friends Upper School Parents Association Steering Committee


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