For the first time in nearly three decades, the School shifted policies this winter surrounding drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products. The new policy now groups all of these illicit substances into the same category. Students in violation of the policy will not necessarily be dismissed — rather, each infraction will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Previously, the School addressed drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine with separate policies.
Furthermore, any purchase, manufacturing, possession, distribution, or use of illegal drugs as well as abuse of prescription drugs and chemical substances resulted in immediate dismissal.
Although changes in federal and state-level regulation influenced the new drug policy, Dean of Students Mr. Mike Velez ’00 noted, “It was not the leading force behind any sort of change to our policy. As a private institution, we can have rules in place that we think are in the best interest of our community members.” Instead, the School’s policy changes were driven by emerging scientific studies on the substances in question and their effect on adolescents.
In 2018, the Student Council proposed changes to the one-strike drug policy; however, they never went into effect. During the summer of 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana. The change to marijuana regulations in the state law, in addition to the fact that Choate has a stricter drug policy compared to many of its peer schools, prompted Student Council President Ava Maha ’23 to propose a two-strike marijuana policy in the fall of 2021.
Maha’s goal was to shift to a more rehabilitative policy, as she noted, “I’ve seen so many kids receive punishments that I don’t think are fair… I think students should have a second chance to think about their actions.” Although the implemented final drug policy is not the same as Maha’s initial proposal, she remarked, “In my ideal world, it would have been concretely two strikes, but I understand why that can’t be the case because there are very egregious offenses, and we can’t have that blanket rule; there is nuance, and I think this new rule actually accounts for that nuance in a really good way.”
Mr. Velez hopes that the new drug policy will promote the prioritization of learning. “At the end of the day, we’re a school, and our goal is to educate our students. Oftentimes, when mistakes or lapses in judgment take place, that’s when we do our best teaching. It’s not necessarily always in the traditional classroom setting.”
Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Mr. Pat Dennehy emphasized the educational opportunities that come with the new drug policy. “As part of growing up and maturing, you’re gonna stumble, and it at least gives us an opportunity to pick you up and try to move you forward.” As such, the Dean’s office has implemented restorative work practices; Mr. Dennehy said, “After a mistake is made, it isn’t ‘You’re put on probation and watch yourself.’ There’s continued education and discussion with our students to help them understand some of the risks of certain behaviors.”
From the preventative side, the new Advising Task Force is looking to include education in the School’s advising model in regard to risks, outcomes, and impacts of drug policy violation. Alongside Fourth-form Dean Ms. Aliya Cox and Associate Dean of Students for Health and Wellness Ms. Alexandra Copeland, the Dean’s office is revamping the year-long wellness program, which has been on hiatus since the pandemic. The wellness program would cover topics such as substance abuse.
The student body’s reaction to the new drug policy was generally positive. “I think that the new changes to the drug policy definitely make it a lot more fair if you’re caught with or using substances in any form, since the punishment now is very much based around your situation,” said Fifth-form Vice President Cassatt Boatwright ’24.
Alex Skrypek ’23 reflected on the changes, saying, “I think they’re productive. I think that they get rid of a lot of ambiguity, but I still think that there are a lot of questions remaining from the student body. I don’t think that Choate did a great job of explaining them.”
Others have pointed out concerns over the new drug policy’s implications on Safe Haven, a non-disciplinary response to substance use. “I hope that [the new drug policy] makes people use Safe Haven as it’s intended to be used because there are enough restrictions on Safe Haven already to stop loopholes, and I don’t think we need more of those. ” Gigi Chen ’24 said.
Fifth-form President Amanda Benneh ’24 was satisfied with the new drug policy, stating, “I’m actually really happy that happened because I felt like overall feedback from the student body has been positive. Knowing exactly what the school handbook says, and making it especially clear and consistent throughout all uses of any prohibited substances on campus gives students a more clear picture of what the school expects.”
Graphic by Melody Qian ’24/The Choate News
