Four Park City High School students were accused of drinking before a football game last Friday, September 16.
According to Park City Police Department Captain Phil Kirk, someone anonymously contacted the police department to report that the individuals had been drinking.
“There was a football game that night, so there was concern that they would show up to the game and be intoxicated,” Kirk told The Park Record.
After a round of interviews, the students were referred by the police to juvenile court, according to Kirk.
“There will be a caseworker that follows up and a juvenile hearing for consumption of alcohol by a minor,” he said.
Kirk said the department has had one or two previous cases of students consuming alcohol.
“There have been students charged with similar offenses. It’s not that common, but it does happen,” he said.
Park City High School Athletic Director Doug Payne said the school follows the Utah High School Activities Association policy regarding possession of drugs, alcohol or tobacco by participants in official school athletic events.
Payne said students are automatically suspended from two games after their first offense and the consequences go up after the second and third offense, at which point students would be suspended from their respective sports teams for the year.
“Coaches are at will to increase those consequences but they can’t decrease them,” he said.
According to Park City High School Vice Principal Dave McNaughton, additional information regarding the case will not be release under the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act, which McNaughton said protects students’ education records.