ELMSDALE, P.E.I. - Heidi Morgan calls it ironic that in the time between a pair of information sessions for parents about risky behaviour by teens, information would come to Westisle Composite High School’s attention about a car rally being planned for Saturday.
In a mass email to parents and on the school’s Facebook page Wednesday, Morgan, principal of the West Prince school, issued a message to parents about the rally, noting it is not a school-endorsed event.
The rally, Morgan said, was apparently scheduled for last Saturday but got postponed because of weather.
The post listed several of the challenges that were to be part of the relay, such as: drive 160 kilometres per hour, down shots of alcohol, damage a mailbox, get in a fight, skinny dip, run a red light, and hook up with a freshman.
“It was brought to our attention that there was an event that, we felt, parents needed to be aware it was not a Westisle-endorsed event,” Morgan told the Journal Pioneer on Thursday. “We felt that first and foremost. The community needed to understand this was not anything that Westisle was endorsing or in favour of.
“We felt we had a responsibility to inform the parent community of this, because it is risky behaviour.”
The message went out at the end of the school day Wednesday and spread quickly.
“We felt all parents needed to be aware of this, the possibility of this happening and what we knew, just so that they could make their own decisions as to what they felt their children should be doing this weekend, and the conversations they had to have at home,” said the principal, who indicated they also alerted the RCMP.
Morgan said things that happen outside of the school are not in the school’s jurisdiction, but added: “Sometimes, those things affect the atmosphere within the building. When it affects the atmosphere in the building and it affects students; ability to achieve academic success, then we, most definitely, look into it.”
Thursday afternoon, the West Prince RCMP issued a stern warning urging people not to participate in the rally and stressed many of the tasks could result in charges under the criminal code or provincial statutes, and could put members of the public at risk.
“West Prince RCMP will be out in full force and have zero tolerance for this event. Any violation of the law will result in charges,” the Mounties warned.
The RCMP is also seeking to hear from anyone with information about the event.
