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Brevard County School Board officials have commented as new details emerge about the boozy “White Lie” party attended by teenagers, leading to the arrest of an elementary school principal and third-grade teacher in Florida.
On Jan. 19, police responded to Principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan‘s home in Cocoa Beach, FL, where they found nearly 200 teenagers at a party, many were drinking, and all wore T-shirts that said “White Lie.” One teen was treated for an alcohol-related medical emergency at the scene, and another teen was later arrested and charged with drunk driving. A swatting call or a fake 911 call to divert law enforcement from the scene of the crime also happened while police were at Hill-Brodigan’s house.
About a week later, Hill-Brodigan, 47, and Karly Anderson, 45, — a third-grade teacher at Hill-Brodigan’s school, Roosevelt Elementary in Cocoa Beach, who police say was at the party and intoxicated — were arrested and now face contributing to the delinquency of a minor and related charges. Both women are currently free on bail.
“This isn’t anything new”
Amid outrage from parents in the Brevard County School district, Fox 35 Orlando spoke with School Board Chair Gene Trent. According to Fox 35, Trent read the police report and thought it seemed like a typical teenage party. He also didn’t understand why people were so upset. Trent supports the school board’s decision to place both women on administrative leave but added, “This isn’t anything new. When we have thousands of employees, things happen.”
Fox 35 Orlando also spoke with several parents in the Brevard County School District, some of whom have students at Roosevelt Elementary, where Hill-Brodigan and Kasey Anderson work. Some declined to be identified, but all said they were disgusted and upset to hear about the party and that an elementary school teacher and principal were involved.
“White Lie” parties happen once or twice a month, teens told police
At the same time, several outlets have viewed the police reports related to the case, and one small detail might prove Trent right: Students allege Hill-Brodigan supplied alcohol for similar parties once or twice a month. According to USA Today, documents also state that Hill-Brodigan supplied the alcohol and was “okay with what was happening” and they knew she was an elementary school principal. Police also say Hill-Brodigan’s teenage son was involved in party planning. Partygoers alleged there was marijuana at the party, and that someone fired a gun (no weapons were found at Hill-Brodigan’s property).
As for Anderson, law enforcement confirmed she seemed intoxicated when she confronted them at Hill-Brodigan’s residence, meanwhile the teenager vomiting from alcohol consumption was being treated at the scene. Anderson claimed Hill-Brodigan invited her out for a drink and denied that she attended teenage “ragers.” Police arrived at Hill-Brodigan’s twice. The first time she said she’d stop the party, but it continued, and cops returned.
Additional information about the swatting call was also revealed in official documents. Reportedly, the 911 call said there was “satanic activity” and that weapons were being fired at a nearby skatepark, but when police arrived, some of whom had been at Hill-Brodigan’s house, there was nothing there. When those cops returned to the “White Lie” party, almost everyone had left.
Meanwhile, responding to the arrests, Brevard School Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell told parents in a letter, “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.”
However, reacting to School Board Chair Trent’s indifferent reaction to the news, former school board member Jennifer Jenkins told Fox 35, “There were 200 students inside of that home. There were adults present when that was happening. They were using drugs, drinking alcohol, [and had] weapons that they were pointing at one another.”
Jenkins also doubts Trent read the police report, as he said he did. “I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he lied about reading so he can have a little wiggle room to correct his course and the statement he made,” she said.