Dear Editor,
We are fortunate that BCHS has a very engaged Students Against Drunk Driving group (SADD). You may be aware that our school’s SADD has a tradition of displaying a damaged car on the front lawn of our school as a visual warning to students about the perils of car collisions that may result from alcohol related circumstances.
This year with the assistance of one of our school counselors, PHRD OH&S safety advisor, and our School Resource Office, we intended to educate our students and other interested parties about the perils of driving while under the influence of alcohol and how traumatic car collisions can be. We contacted the local auto wreckers to acquire a car to be used in this display. We did not confirm the history of the vehicle. We did indicate the purpose of the vehicle and that our need of it would be temporary. We did not specifically ask for a vehicle that was involved in an alcohol related incident.
On May 14, it was learned the vehicle we featured in this year’s display had NOT been involved in a drinking and driving accident. Understandably the vehicle’s previous owners were upset that their family had been erroneously connected to this display.
The family involved has been directly apologized to for the unfortunate consequences that this mistake caused them.
In the wake of this incident, we will be reviewing our processes for selecting vehicles for future SADD displays, with a view to avoiding a repeat of this most unfortunate circumstance.
BCHS School Administration and SADD Team
