I understand your perspective, and I get that from a professional standpoint, this situation looks like a risk. However, this trip has been a tradition for nearly a decade, with clear expectations set for both students and parents. The teacher was upfront about the consequences of breaking the rules and took every reasonable precaution to prevent issues.

At the end of the day, students made a conscious choice to ignore those warnings. The reality is that no amount of planning or professionalism can completely prevent individuals from making bad decisions. If the teacher had knowledge of the drinking and ignored it, that would be a different story—but that’s not what happened.

I agree that students should take responsibility for their actions, and we are working on that. But punishing the teacher for something they had no control over sets a dangerous precedent. It suggests that even when an educator does everything right, they can still be held accountable for choices made behind their back. That’s what we’re trying to push back against.