This is a photo of Jack, left, and Nick Savage. Photo courtesy of Riley Colley
Two months after the overdose deaths of a recent Penn High School graduate and his older brother, the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. board Monday night approved a new policy that shields students from school discipline when they seek medical help for themselves or others in connection with drug or alcohol abuse.
Superintendent Jerry Thacker said the “conditional amnesty” policy results directly from the June 15 deaths of Nick Savage, 19, and Jack Savage, 18, after they mixed the prescription pain reliever oxycodone with alcohol at a Knollwood party attended by other Granger teens.
Thacker said there was no reason to believe such a policy would have prevented the brothers’ deaths because they went home from the party and died in their sleep without having prompted concerns from other teens. But the administration recognizes that students who have used alcohol or drugs may be hesitant to seek help for themselves or others for fear of the potential consequences at school, such as suspension from extracurricular activities.
The policy, an amendment to the student Code of Conduct, is two-pronged. It protects students who seek medical help for themselves or someone else by calling police or emergency medical personnel. It also protects students who voluntarily acknowledge their own alcohol or drug problems to an administrator or teacher.
The policy notes that amnesty cannot be claimed if the administration or a staff member confronts the student first.
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