Florida principal hosts underage house party; Alcohol, marijuana, fights, and gun found: affidavit
Drugs, alcohol and guns at principal's house party with students
FOX 35 is learning new details after a Cocoa Beach principal and 3rd grade teacher were arrested on Friday. Police say Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan and Karly Anderson were both present at a house party with more than 100 students where drugs, alcohol and guns were present. FOX 35's Esther Bower has the latest.
COCOA BEACH, Fla. - A Florida elementary school principal is accused of hosting a large underage party at her house where some 100 kids or so were using alcohol and marijuana, which led to alcohol-fueled fights and at least one student being charged with a DUI, according to an arrest affidavit.
Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan is the principal at Theordore Roosevelt Elementary School. She has since been placed on administrative leave after being arrested and booked into jail on charges of child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Karly Anderson, a teacher at the same elementary school, was also arrested on similar charges, according to online jail records.
"White Lie Party"
New Details:
According to the arrest affidavit for Principal Hills-Brodigan, which was released to FOX 35 Orlando by the Cocoa Beach Police Department, a "white lie party" was hosted at Hills-Brodigan's home. It was advertised on Snapchat and kids from multiple schools attended, though the affidavit does not detail which schools nor the ages of those who attended.
Students claimed these parties happened at least one or twice a month, according to the report. It's not known if police were called for issues with those parties.
According to the report, police responded to the home on Country Club around 9 p.m. after receiving complaints from neighbors about the party alleging there was drinking, marijuana use, and that kids were walking through yards and swearing at the homeowners.
Police found numerous vehicles parked outside the home, witnessed at least one juvenile vomiting in the front yard requiring medical attention, and learned of possible fights during the party.
Principal allegedly helped with the party setup
What they're saying:
Police spoke to several students who were at the party, according to the report. The students told officers that there were more than 100 students at the party, that most students knew the homeowner was a school principal, and that Hills-Brodigan was "having students help make preparations for the party," though the report does not specify what.
"At that time, alcohol was ready and available in multiple red/white coolers inside the residence," the report said. Students told officers that it appeared that the principal "seemed okay with what was happening."
Police said video from the party showed a white male with a mask pointing what appeared to be a gun at the person recording the video. Another video also showed a student slapping another student.
Affidavit: Student driver was two times over legal limit, charged with DUI
New details:
According to the report, officers began conducting traffic control around the party. A sergeant stopped a vehicle that ran a stop sign and allegedly almost hit his vehicle, the report said.
Two underaged and drunk females were inside – a driver and a passenger, police said. The driver allegedly provided a breath sample, which was found to be 0.118, nearly two times the legal limit of .08 for a 21+ driver. The passenger was cited for possession of marijuana, police said.
Affidavit: Boy vomiting and shaking in the front yard
New details:
Another officer who responded to the house party found a boy in the front yard of the house "vomiting and shaking." Police determined the boy needed medical help and contacted Brevard County Fire Rescue.
As that was happening, the school principal allegedly walked out of her house, stood at the top of her driveway, walked back inside the house, and shut off lights in her front yard, the report said.
The boy was checked out and his mother was called.
As paramedics were treating the boy, Anderson, the teacher, allegedly began yelling at the paramedics for putting the boy "in a machine," referring to the patrol vehicle, according to the report. The teacher appeared intoxicated and said she was aware of the party and that there were several kids there.
Eventually, the officer told her to go away so he could take care of the boy, the report said.
Mayor: ‘A disappointing situation’
What they're saying:
"It’s definitely a disappointing situation, unfortunately, it doesn't make the city look good" - Cocoa Beach Mayor, Keith Capizzi. "All this was done in order to make sure that there was accountability and that people are safe," he said.
"I am very troubled by the information that CBPD has shared with the district. We hold our leaders to the highest of standards, and if these allegations are true, it’s a complete failure in leadership and violation of our trust. The district is cooperating fully with police as they investigate this matter and will strive to provide families with full transparency" - Dr. Mark Rendell, Brevard Public Schools Superintendent, in prepared statement.
FOX 35's attempts to reach Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan and Karly Anderson for comment were unsuccessful.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
- Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
- Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
- Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
- FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source: The information in this article comes from reporting done by FOX 35's Esther Bower.