A house party with over 100 teens is busted. A principal and teacher are being charged.
Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan, principal of Roosevelt Elementary School, was charged with "holding an open house party," contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child neglect in connection to the incident, according to the Cocoa Beach Police Department.
Karly Anderson, a teacher at the same school, was intoxicated at the scene, police said. The two officials have since bonded out of jail.
The arrest stems from a party discovered at Hill-Brodigan's home on Jan. 19. Police received multiple reports related to juveniles consuming alcohol, noise, obscenities being shouted, and more, according to Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Officers found "over 100 juveniles ... in matching t-shirts, many who were consuming alcohol that was later learned to be available in coolers at the residence," police said.
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When authorities initially responded at about 8:45 p.m., they called Hill-Brodigan to advise her that there was a house party involving juveniles drinking and using marijuana at her residence, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Florida Today. She told them that she was down the street and that she would handle the problem and stop the music by 10 p.m.
But police were called back less than 10 minutes after they spoke to Hill-Brodigan as the party continued. A juvenile leaving the party told officers during a traffic stop that someone was showing off a gun at the home, though no weapons were found on the premises, police said. Hill-Brodigan approached an officer as they drove by and told him she was shutting the party down.
Officers responded to an unfounded report of gunshots and "satanic activity" at a nearby skatepark, then returned to Hill-Brodigan's home. At this point, the party had mostly broken up.
At about 11:40 p.m., while one officer carried out a traffic stop nearby involving two intoxicated juveniles dressed in "white lie" attire − a trend in which T-shirts feature white lies − and arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence, another officer found a boy vomiting and shaking in Hill-Brodigan's front yard.
Cocoa Beach Fire Rescue and Brevard County Fire Rescue were called to provide medical attention for the boy.
At first, Hill-Brodigan watched from the top of her driveway, according to the affidavit. Then she walked inside and turned off all the lights in the front of the house.
While the boy who had been vomiting was held in the back of a patrol vehicle, Anderson, a third grade teacher, approached the officers. She yelled at fire rescue authorities, saying she was upset that the boy was being put "in a machine" and that she had been hanging out at the party, police said.
Officers reported that she exhibited slow, slurred speech, that she smelled of alcohol, and that her mood switched between angry and calm repeatedly throughout the short conversation.
On Jan. 20, officers spoke with Anderson on the phone, at which point she told them she had not participated in the party at Hill-Brodigan's home. She said that her friend, referring to Hill-Brodigan, had invited her out for a drink and that Hill-Brodigan had consumed only one drink, according to the arrest affidavit.
She added that her children were not at the party and that she doesn't take part in underage "ragers." She declined to provide a sworn statement.
On the same day, police spoke to Hill-Brodigan on the phone. She initially agreed to provide a sworn statement but later changed her mind.
Detectives interviewed juveniles and parents during their investigation. Police said students confirmed that more than 100 students had been at the house and said parties like this happen once or twice a month, adding that they knew Hill-Brodigan was principal of Roosevelt Elementary, Florida Today reported.
Students told police that some of them arrived at the house as early as 7:45 p.m. and that Hill-Brodigan requested they help prepare for the party, with alcohol available inside the home in multiple red and white coolers, according to the affidavit. Marijuana was used at the party, students said, and a video recorded by a student showed a male juvenile with a mask on taking videos with a firearm − described by students as a Beretta − and pointing it at the person recording.
Students also told police multiple fights broke out at the party.
Students said Hill-Brodigan did not attempt to stop the party and that she seemed "okay with what was happening," according to the affidavit. She told her son to stop the party, but he ignored her, according to students. No additional information about her son, such as his age or name, was provided.
Both adults were reportedly placed on administrative leave. As of Tuesday morning, Hill-Brodigan's bio on the school's website led to an error page.
Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell addressed the matter in a letter to the community, Spectrum News reported.
'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," Rendell said in a statement. "The district is cooperating fully with police as they investigate this matter and will strive to provide families with full transparency.'
USA TODAY reached out to Brevard Public Schools for comment.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Principal, teacher charged over house party involving minors
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