The family of a 15-year-old Indiana boy who killed himself after he was caught and expelled using a marijuana-laced vape pen has filed a lawsuit against the school district and the sheriff’s office alleging the teenager’s civil rights were violated.
Jase Emilys — a player on the school’s football team — killed himself three days after he was arrested inside Charlestown High School on May 20 when police found a vape pen containing liquid marijuana in his locker, according to WHAS 11.
In addition to the arrest, Jase’s family said he was expelled from school, preventing him from playing on his beloved football team in a “punishment that does not fit the crime.”
“Knowing he won’t be able to play next year, it’s hard for him,” said his mother Elyce. “And it didn’t hit us about what might have been done to him until after he was gone.”
Jase Emilys killed himself in May, three days after he was arrested and deported for using a marijuana-laced vape pen in his locker. Family HandoutEmily’s family said the teenager was devastated to learn she would no longer be able to play football for the high school.Family Handout
The family’s attorney, Gordon Ingle, claimed that the Greater Clark County School District and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office exceeded their authority when they searched the 15-year-old’s locker and questioned him.
“We don’t believe they had probable cause to check his locker,” Ingle told the local outlet. “They’re doing a criminal investigation and they’re talking to him, which is a violation of the law because before you can talk to a juvenile, you have to give the juvenile an opportunity to talk to someone, in this case, a parent.
“This is just an extreme police action if there is one,” he added.
The family claims Emilys constitutional rights were violated when police allegedly searched her locker without reasonable cause and questioned her without her parents present. Family HandoutJase Emily in this undated photo attends a high school football game. Family Distribution
Elyce said Jase was humiliated when he was handcuffed at school and taken to the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center.
He claims he was not informed about the incident until he was taken to juvie.
Police said Jase was in possession of a vape pen that tested positive for marijuana, with the pen brand containing an 83% THC level, according to arrest records.
The teenager was arrested and handcuffed at Charlestown High School, in Clark County, Indiana. WHAS11
A lawsuit filed on Emily’s behalf eventually accused the school district and the sheriff’s office of wrongfully arresting and detaining the teenager and violating her constitutional rights.
“There was no acknowledgment there that what they did was wrong,” Elyce added.
“We just don’t want another family to have to go through what we did. We want Jase back but that’s not going to happen.”
The county and sheriff’s office declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The district prohibits any and all illegal drug use on campus, as well as the use of vape pens and e-cigarettes, according to its student handbook.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free, confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
