9 STUDENTS ARRESTED IN MARIJUANA CASE

Brookfield Police Say Drug Bust Is Largest Ever At A Brookfield School

Brookfield - In the largest bust local police have handled at a school,
nine Brookfield East High School students were arrested after they were
suspected of smoking marijuana on campus, officials said.

"We've maybe had half the number of the students involved in one incident
at the school in the past," said police Lt. Phil Horter. "I can't recall
having that many students involved at one time.

"Nine defendants is a lot for single incident."

Horter said the investigation "kind of snowballed."

The group included seven girls, a boy and an 18-year-old man.

Police gave this account:

At about 11 a.m. Feb. 19, a school official caught two girls smoking
marijuana and brought them to an administrator's office.

After police and school officials talked to the girls, ages 16 and 17 and
both from Brookfield, they learned about other students being involved,
Horter said. As more students were questioned, still others were discovered
to have smoked marijuana at school, he said.

Eventually, the investigation ledpolice to a 15-year-old Brookfield boy who
they allege supplied marijuana and sold it to a 16-year-old girl at school.

Police have asked the Waukesha County district attorney's office to charge
that boy with delivery of a controlled substance on school grounds.

Police have requested a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia against
another student, an 18-year-old Brookfield man. Horter alleged the man had
a pipe that he allowed other students to use to smoke the marijuana.

The seven remaining students were ticketed on suspicion of possession of
marijuana, Horter said. Two of them - the 16- and 17-year-old girls - also
were ticketed on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, he said.

The other girls ticketed range in age from 15 to 17. Four are from
Brookfield and one is from Elm Grove.

"The smoking all took place outside of the building, but on school
property, and it was done before and during school hours," Horter said.

Brookfield East Principal Joe Schroeder said all nine students were
suspended and school officials have recommended that three of them be
expelled. He said expulsion hearings will be held in the near future.

All nine students were disciplined, but the punishments varied, based on
the level of the infraction, Schroeder said.

The Elmbrook School District has had other drug-related incidents.

In December, two high school students were expelled after an administrator
said one of them sold marijuana to another. Administrators declined to say
which school they attended.

In March 2000, four Pilgrim Park Middle School students were suspended
after being caught exchanging marijuana in a school hallway.

Two Brookfield Central High School students were suspended and one was
expelled for having pot in school in March 1999.