Stevenson School Board President Responds to Drug Investigation

Board President Bruce Lubin publicly addressed the that was recently conducted by administrators and Lincolnshire police at Monday night's School Board meeting.

According to TribLocal, no parents spoke about the investigation during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Lubin's response, given on behalf of the School Board, came less than a week after Lincolnshire police announced they had with unlawful delivery of cannabis and conspiracy of unlawful delivery of cannabis.

Lubin's remarks, which follow, were posted Tuesday on Stevenson's website.

Some of the comments we’ve heard from concerned community members and parents include why the administration and board hasn’t spoken more about what was going on. If my kids were still at SHS, I’d be asking that question as well. But please understand that we are legally and ethically limited in the type of information that we share within and outside the school about matters related to students and student discipline. And as it relates to the issue of impairing or intoxicating substances, we take this matter very seriously.  

There have also been questions about our inspection of student cell phones. The question of whether a school district may access cell phones if there is reasonable suspicion that students are engaged in illegal activity is well established in case law and court opinions, and we would expect nothing less from the school in its responsibility for our children. Far more important than the question of cell phone misuse and searches, is the fact that we may have students and families in our community who are struggling with drug use and addiction.  

In order to provide a safe learning environment and ensure our mission of Success for Every Student, we expect the administration to actively investigate potential instances of student misconduct including, but not limited to, the selling, purchasing, using or distributing of impairing or intoxicating substances, or participating in a plan to do so. As you would expect, if the District finds that students have engaged in behavior that is in violation of the law or Stevenson’s Code of Conduct, the District will issue appropriate consequences and facilitate opportunities for students and their families to access counseling and therapeutic support and services. We believe that it is an essential component of our Social and Emotional Learning initiative to do so.  

In addition to the programs that we offer to our students as part of our curriculum, over the course of the past few years the District has offered evening education programs in collaboration with neighboring high school districts addressing the dangers of drug use and we will continue to do so in the future. Our hope and expectation is that the District will continue to do everything that it can to keep the school and our students safe from the dangers of drug use. We know that some of our students and families may be struggling with drug use and abuse problems, and our hearts go out to them.   

As I think about the good that can come from a situation like this, I hope that other school districts will realize what may be going on in their schools, and be proactive and diligent in insuring the safety of their student body.