Westfield High School (Massachusetts)
Westfield High School (Westfield, Massachusetts) is a public high school located in Westfield, Massachusetts established in 1855. It serves as the public high school for students in grades 9 through 12, and has a student enrollment of 1,356 (2014-15).
Controversy
Drug crime
On March 26, 2014, 18-year-old Westfield High School student Samuel M. Gendreau was found in possession of marijuana-laced brownies.
Westfield High School Resource Police Officer James M. Summers made an application for criminal complaint, issued April 18, in which he stated that
Administrators at WHS investigated a drug incident after hearing that a student had ingested a marijuana-laced brownie. They learned that the offender, Samuel Gendreau, was in possession of eight individually wrapped brownies and a white envelope containing $55. Samuel readily admitted to his respective principal that he made brownies at home and brought them to school for the purpose of selling them.
Police applied for a felony charge on probable cause based on the facts set forth in Summers’ report, and Gendreau was issued a summons to appear in Westfield District Court.
Gendreau was arraigned on May 28, and appeared before Judge Philip A. Contant, entering a plea of not guilty on the felony charge of distributing a Class D substance and another charge of committing a drug violation near a school or park.
According to Capt. Michael McCabe, the incident came to light on March 26 when a female student told the school nurse that she had eaten a marijuana-laced brownie and that she was not feeling well. It is not known whether the girl required medical treatment, how many students may have eaten the brownies, or how long this has gone on.
McCabe said that “It is an odd way to distribute marijuana,” adding that the girl and other students very likely knew what was in the brownies before eating them because they “forked over the $15 price.”
Other crime
On May 23, 2014, police arrested a 17-year-old Westfield High School student after he broke into the school. The juvenile was charged with defacement of property and breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony. Capt. Michael McCabe said the suspect, who broke in through a window, targeted floors, stairways, desks and lockers.
Notable alumni
- Lou Barlow of the band Dinosaur Jr.
