9 high school athletes in Vermont suspended after party

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Nine high school athletes have been suspended following a party broken up by police in Shelburne last week after a complaint alleging underage drinking.

Five Champlain Valley Union High School hockey players, including one member of the girls' team, face three-game suspensions, athletic director Kevin Riell said.

Three members of the boys' hockey team, which has the best record in the state at 11-1, and one girls' basketball player received one-game suspensions after violating team rules for being present where alcohol was served, Riell said.

Sergeant Allen S. Fortin of Shelburne police said officers responded early Jan. 9 to a complaint about a drinking party. Officers were refused entry to the house, and teenagers covered up the windows in an effort to thwart police investigators, he said.

Police woke up a judge, who granted a search warrant allowing officers to enter the house shortly before 6 a.m.

All the partygoers were given alcohol breath tests, and those who passed were released, Fortin said. About three dozen people were at the party.

Three teenagers, each with a previous alcohol offense, were ordered to appear in Vermont District Court, and 17 other youths were ticketed for a first offense, Fortin said.

One 15-year-old will face action in Juvenile Court, he said.

Although some Vermont high schools have zero-tolerance rules for drug and alcohol use, Champlain Valley Union has a policy that provides first-time offenders with suspensions, Riell said. Violators are allowed to resume extracurricular activities after undergoing tests for drug and alcohol abuse. He said second-time offenders are dismissed from activities.

During Champlain Valley Union's 4-3 win over Missisquoi Valley in boys' hockey on Thursday night, seven CVU players were missing. Riell said the three hockey players suspended for the boys' game Thursday night were not allowed to wear uniforms or sit on the bench. They were assigned other team duties, such as serving as managers or keeping statistics.