Student judiciary has taken on more severe drug cases than are commonly seen at Bradley throughout the past two weeks. These cases have involved students growing and possibly selling marijuana, as well as possessing drugs that are illegal under federal law, such as methamphetamines.
Repercussions for these cases vary depending on the situation, said Executive Director for Residential Living Nathan Thomas, and any student, regardless of where they live, answers to the student judiciary.
“This year is on par with previous years, but we have had a couple bigger incidents,” he said. “It’s been awhile since we have seen a harder drug than marijuana. The handbook says [the offenders] can be dismissed or suspended from the university.”
Typical ramifications for a first-time offense where a student is caught possessing marijuana include a $100 fine, a marijuana intervention program and a probation of some kind. Thomas said anything beyond that depends on the case.
“Alcohol is pretty defined because we deal with it so much, and cases where we find marijuana is defined because we see that a lot, too,” he said. “But in the rare events like these, we have to handle it case by case.”
If a drug search in a residence hall is required, Thomas said all roommates are not necessarily held accountable.
“Usually if it’s found in dorms, we can make a determination as to whose it is,” he said.
Senior Hall Director Nick Stocchero said the resident hall staff is very involved in drug searches.
“If there’s any suspicion, the [resident advisers] and [assistant resident advisers] are the eyes and ears for us,” he said. “We have a computer system to alert the staff that we need to do a drug search, and it sends out a text message.”
A week before each term, residence hall staff goes through a drug search training course.
“The police officers help them to identify smells, mock drug searches, video training…it’s a big aspect that hall staff has to go through,” he said.
Stocchero said it takes two to three hours to conduct a drug search.
“We only go in if it’s very likely we will find something,” he said. “So it’s really rare that we come out with nothing.”
Geisert Hall Resident Adviser Mackie Atteberry said she has only been called to conduct a drug search once, but the room was empty.
“If we smell anything, we would get some staff together to go check it, and then we go about the proper protocol,” she said.
Atteberry said residents are well informed about drug protocol.
“We make sure they know how the process goes,” she said. “We don’t hide it from them.”
Stocchero said students should be especially careful of what they keep in their dorms.
“Don’t take your chances,” he said. “It’s one of the worst things that could happen to you here, having to watch someone go through your stuff for hours.”
