More than 30 teenagers who were caught drinking at an after-prom party supervised by a Sherwood elementary school teacher will be charged with disorderly conduct, the Lonoke County sheriff said Tuesday.
Deputies will issue juvenile citations for underage students, while those older than 18 will be issued citations to appear June 22 in Cabot District Court, Sheriff John Staley said.
"These young men and women are the future leaders of tomorrow and need to be taught that there are consequences for violating the law," Staley said in a statement.
Deputies found several empty alcohol containers and a full-sized keg when they responded at 4 a.m. Sunday to a party near West Lewisburg Road. Several intoxicated students between the ages of 15 and 18 had passed out. Others tried to hide in the nearby woods or escape in their cars when deputies arrived, the Democrat-Gazette previously reported.
Marcie Duncan, a fourth-grade teacher at William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School, was arrested and charged with 33 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and 33 counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor, among other charges.
She has also been suspended from her position at the school pending an internal investigation.
"Kids will be kids, but adults should be adults," Staley said. "There will be some folks upset with my decision, but they are not the ones who have to work the fatal accidents, sexual assaults and other issues that come from parties such as this."