Alcohol brings early end to HVRHS homecoming dance

FALLS VILLAGE —  The homecoming dance at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Saturday night, Oct. 24,  was cut short by an hour and students were sent home after chaperones said they observed students with alcohol.

Principal Gretchen Foster said, “Some students arrived with alcohol, and the dance ended early due to safety concerns and the behavior of some students.�

Glow Sticks, which are plastic tubes filled with chemicals that produce light, were handed out at the dance, which had a “neon� theme. Several rowdy students broke the Glow Sticks, according to Foster. She said some glass was broken as well.

About 300 students attended the dance. Foster said she thought about 25 or 30 of them were behaving badly, but did not know which students had been drinking.

One student, senior Nick Dzenutis,   18, was stopped by police on Warren Turnpike Road in Falls Village at about 10:30 p.m. that night. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle by a minor and passing in a no passing zone.

Dzenutis was the host of an after-prom party held last spring that got out of hand. Police were called and three intoxicated students were taken to Sharon Hospital.

After administrators decided to end the homecoming dance early, they sent the students home in groups of 25.

The school resource officer, who is a state police officer assigned to the school, had to leave early on a call; he requested backup from the barracks in North Canaan. As students left the school, there were four troopers outside. Chaperones and troopers observed the students as they left, looking for signs of alcohol use.

Foster said the primary issue for administrators was safety. There were eight adult chaperones present.

Foster said she was surprised by the incident. “This behavior is very unlike our students. It’s not what we see every day, and not what we expected.

“We’re going to have to get together with our administration, faculty, and students and look at our policies,� she said.

This was to be the first year in recent history when students voted on a homecoming king and queen. Because of the early end to the party, no royalty was chosen.