Gilmer County board expels student for possession of synthetic THC, orders ALC placement with review

The Gilmer County Board of Education voted to expel "student E001" for two consecutive semesters after administrators said the student had possession of and admitted using synthetic THC in a vaping device during the school day. The board approved the superintendent's recommendation to place the student in an alternative learning center and to review the student's status after the second nine-week period.

During an open expulsion hearing that was live-streamed, an administration representative identified in the record as Mrs. Butcher told the board that the student's conduct met a level-four offense under West Virginia Department of Education policy 4373. "He has committed an act that is a level four offense" and "was in his possession and admitted to using and being under the influence of synthetic THC in the form of a VAP[e] device," the administration said. The administration also said the school issued the student a 10-day suspension and delivered certified notification to the parents.

School staff described the sequence of events to the board: the classroom teacher, Mrs. Hickman, flagged the student for unusual behavior and removed the student to the hallway; Mr. Pay retrieved the student and brought him to the office; school nurse Miss Ferguson recorded an elevated heart rate and unequal pupils; staff said the vape device was turned over to local law enforcement and tested. When board members asked whether a vape had been found and tested, administration confirmed that a device had been recovered and provided to police.

A parent asked the board to consider alternatives to removal from school. "I'd like at least to get him into ALC or homebound so he can finish—he's a senior," the parent said, asking the board to preserve the student's chance to graduate on time. The superintendent, Dr. Manny, recommended expulsion for two semesters but proposed placement at the Gilmer County Career Center's ALC program with a review after the second nine weeks based on grade-point average, attendance and the absence of further discipline incidents.

A motion to accept the superintendent's recommendation was made and seconded. The presiding officer called for the vote and announced the motion carried; the record shows the board voiced assent and the presiding officer declared the motion carried. Afterward the board recessed for five minutes and then reconvened. The board later moved to convene an executive session under West Virginia Code 6-9A-4(b)(3) to hear student-discipline matters.

The hearing used the student identification number in public proceedings because the meeting was live-streamed. The board did not state a different or modified penalty during the session; the superintendent's plan includes a subsequent administrative review to consider reducing the placement to a county-level ALC based on academic progress and behavior. The hearing record includes citations to West Virginia policy 4373 and various state code sections read into the record by administration.

Next steps: the student is to be expelled for the two-semester period as approved, placed in the ALC placement arranged by the superintendent, and the superintendent will convene a review at the end of the second nine-week period to determine whether the placement should be reduced.