Updated at 5:30 p.m. – Montgomery Blair High School Principal Renay Johnson thinks two recent news stories—one on a senior with pot brownies and one on a fight involving students—unfairly portrayed the Silver Spring school and misstated facts.
Johnson wrote a letter to school parents Wednesday in which she characterized the incidents, both which were first reported by local news station ABC7, as “student disciplinary infractions” that happened more than three weeks ago.
“In both incidents, student[s] received confidential consequences that are aligned with the MCPS Code of Conduct, parent conferences, counseling services, and mentoring group support,” Johnson wrote. “With over 2,900 students and 287 staff, Montgomery Blair High School is the largest high school in the state of Maryland however we have very few disciplinary infractions.”
Last Friday, ABC7 reporter Kevin Lewis ran the story of William Conrad, an 18-year-old senior at the school who was charged criminally for allegedly selling marijuana-laced brownies.
According to a police press release, two students who ate the brownies received medical attention from a school nurse on Nov. 25 before being transported to an area hospital and later released.
On Tuesday, Lewis and ABC7 ran a report showing a cell phone video of a “massive brawl” at the school on Dec. 3 that was sparked by a “gang rivalry.”
The report cited Montgomery County police as saying the fight involved more than 100 students and “caused a mass disturbance and disruption of the school day.” The report also cites police as saying school employees trying to break up the fight sustained minor injuries.
In her letter Wednesday, Johnson said that isn’t true.
“Yesterday’s news report misstates the facts—only 10 students were involved and no staff members were injured,” Johnson wrote.
One of the students allegedly involved in the fight, 18-year-old senior Malik Blythers, was charged criminally with disorderly conduct and disturbing school operations.
In an email to Bethesda Beat, ABC7 Director of Content Joe DeFeo pointed to police charging documents that state "hundreds of students were in the hall and locker bays observing the fight and recording it on their cell phones," and that "several security officers and school administrators sustained minor injuries."
Johnson went on to write that it’s “unfortunate that a media outlet has chosen to focus on the small handful of infractions in our school community when there have been so many newsworthy achievements and accomplishments by our students.”
She went on to mention three students who earned perfect scores on the SAT and a student who won a major scholarship this week.
She also put in a plug for one of ABC7’s rivals.
“Have a wonderful and joyous Winter Break and don’t forget to tune in on Saturday, December 26 to see our It’s Academic team represent our school on NBC4 TV,” Johnson wrote.
