James Casey, 51, of Morristown, N.J., was charged with furnishing alcohol to minors, many of whom graduated earlier in the day from Deerfield Academy.
ELMORE, Vt. (AP) – A noise complaint at a Vermont summer camp led police to a party for about 150 graduates of a Massachusetts boarding school, dozens of whom were cited for underage drinking.
The host, James Casey, 51, of Morristown, N.J., was charged with furnishing alcohol to minors.
The young people had graduated from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass., earlier Sunday. Some rode by private coach bus to the party, others drove.
After being processed at the scene for underage consumption, about 140 were given civil tickets for underage drinking.
Each will have to contact a court diversion program in Hyde Park and undergo counseling. If they don’t comply, they could get a $300 fine and a 90-day license suspension.
Casey, who cited into court July 27 for the misdemeanor, could be fined $2,000 and face two years in prison.
An 18-year-old woman who was among the graduates reported being raped at the party, but State Police who investigated couldn’t substantiate the allegation, according to Sgt. David Robillard.
The woman, whose name wasn’t released, was drunk and went to sleep in a tent, where she later woke up nude after having had some type of sexual intercourse with a male she knew, according to Robillard.
But after consulting with her mother, the woman opted not to press charges, according to Robillard.
David Thiel, a spokesman for Deerfield Academy, said the rape allegation was “definitely cause for concern. “
“One of our primary worries about these type of (parties) is that on the surface, they’re common. I don’t think anybody would be surprised to hear there’s a graduation party or that teenagers get their hands on alcohol. Our worry has always been what happens when things get out of control.
“My sources tell me there was no assault, and the police not substantiating it certainly indicates that to be true,” Thiel said.
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