Bolton

Bolton Board of Education Member Charged After Teens Were Found With Alcohol, Marijuana at Her Home

State police have arrested a Bolton Board of Education member after finding more than 20 teens at a party at her home, several of whom had marijuana and admitted to drinking alcohol, according to state police. 

Alison Romkey, 52, of Bolton has been charged with nine counts of permitting a minor to illegally possess liquor in a dwelling unit or on private property or failing to halt such illegal possession. 

Police said the party was held after a school dance at Bolton High School on Oct. 19. 

They were alerted when they stopped a 17-year-old boy who was going 75 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone in the center of Bolton, according to police. They said he had marijuana and alcohol and told them that he was coming from a school dance and heading to an after party on Shoddy Hill Road, according to the arrest warrant application for Alison Romkey. 

Police said they issued a summons to the teen and went to the home on Shoddy Hill Road, where police saw several teens running. 

A state trooper then knocked on the door of the residence. According to the police report, “witness #5,” who lived at the residence, was asked to get the homeowners, Allison and Erik Romkey, who were in a bedroom with the door closed.

Police then told them they had stopped a teen on his way to the house, found drugs and alcohol and they had reason to believe that children downstairs had more alcohol and narcotics, the arrest warrant states.

Alison Romkey told them she would “take care of it,” but police said they needed to work together, the arrest warrant application states. 

Downstairs, police saw more than 20 teenagers and several bottles of alcohol, according to the arrest warrant application. 

Police then told the teens that they would not face criminal charges if they came forward with the marijuana and alcohol they had and several of the teens placed what they had in front of police, according to the arrest warrant application. 

The teens were then told to call their parents and state police gathered the marijuana and alcohol. 

Police said they seized one open and two unopened bottles of vodka, five unopened beer bottles, one unopen beer can, two unopened nip bottles of vodka and eight custom bottles of mixed drinks with alcoholic beverages. 

They also seized eight plastic baggies of marijuana, two glass bowl smoking devices and 14 vaping devices, the arrest warrant states. 

Police asked Alison Romkey to go outside with them while teens helped dump the alcohol on the grass and she said, “well this is what teenagers do,” the arrest warrant application says. 

As police spoke with Alison Romkey, she asked if she was going to jail that night and if she could get dressed before she was arrested, according to police, but authorities told her that she was not getting arrested that night and they would investigate. 

Police later asked that an arrest warrant be issued for Alison Romkey. She has been charged with nine counts of permitting a minor to illegally possess liquor in a dwelling unit or on private property or failing to halt such illegal possession. 

Officials from the superintendent’s office in Bolton said Romkey is a board of education member and had no comment. 

The Bolton Democratic Committee posted a statement on its website, saying that Romkey is entitled to the benefit of doubt and is presumed innocent and they learned of her intent to resign from the Board of Education.

The statement added they do not condone underage drinking or the serving of alcohol to minors.

"Although we should all reserve judgment on Alison’s conduct until the court case is concluded, we do not believe that Alison can continue to serve effectively on the Board of Education pending that outcome. This morning we learned of Alison’s intent to submit a letter to the Bolton Town Clerk announcing her immediate resignation from the Board of Education. In the coming weeks, the BDTC will nominate a replacement for consideration by the remaining Board of Education members," the statement says.

"Alison is one of the most committed supporters of the Bolton community and, especially, its schools. She has served for six years on the Board of Education, has put in countless hours with the high school’s Project Graduation, and for years has devoted the winter months to running the annual variety show at Bolton Center School," the statement goes on to say.

Bond was set at $2,500 and Romkey is due in court on Dec. 4.

NBC Connecticut attempted to contact Romkey at her home but she was not available for comment.

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