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Sting operation leads to LGHS drug arrests
By Gloria I. Wang
A three-month sting operation at Los Gatos High School culminated Dec. 20 when Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police officers removed 12 students from their third-period classes and arrested them on a variety of drug charges. Later that day, one more student was arrested when her parents turned her over to police.
Four more students were wanted but were out of town and will be arrested after they return from their holiday vacations.
In addition, police arrested two juveniles, former students of the high school. The adults taken into custody included Campbell residents Luke Longberger, 18, and Matthew Shearer, 21, Los Gatan Matt Weatherford, 19, and LGHS students Spencer Griscom, 18, and Andrew Werth, 18. All five were booked in Santa Clara County Jail.
A police officer, the identity of whom remained unknown to school administrators, enrolled at the high school in September as a junior. Police Captain Alana Forrest declined to say whether the officer is male or female. The officer participated in drug activities before, during and after school hours on and around the campus, according to Forrest.
"Sadly, the officer was able to make a 'buy' on the first day of attendance here," Principal Trudy McCulloch wrote in a letter to school staff.
According to McCulloch, school administrators had been especially concerned about the drug scene at the school since last year, when several situations occurred involving substance abuse. In the past calendar year, McCulloch said, three to four students were expelled for possessing or selling drugs, and at a school dance, half a dozen teenagers were caught using ecstasy.
That led to a meeting between McCulloch and Forrest before the 2001-2002 school year started. They decided to proceed with an undercover operation. McCulloch says she takes full responsibility for the operation. "It was my decision at that point that we needed to take some serious action," McCulloch said. "We need to help take care of each other and having kids doing drugs is not the way to do it."
In a letter issued to school staff immediately after the arrests, McCulloch shared her feelings about agreeing to the undercover operation. "I know that some of you will disagree with the actions that I have taken, and in this type of instance that is to be expected," McCulloch told the staff. "Please know that I struggled with this decision for a very long time, and continue to do so.
"But I strongly believe that this was the appropriate action to take at this time. I firmly believe that we have an obligation to provide all students and staff a safe school environment. This includes a need to do everything in our power to provide a drug-free campus."
Toward the end of November and beginning of December, police and McCulloch met several times to discuss how the arrests would be made.
After the morning arrests, McCulloch made an brief announcement to the entire school, informing students about what had happened and emphasizing that the suspects would all receive "full due process."
Each detainee was charged with at least one count of sales and/or possession of marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine or methamphetamine. In addition, Weatherford was charged with felony probation violation for domestic violence, and Shearer was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Police also served search warrants on the homes of Longberger and Shearer, seizing marijuana and packaging material from Shearer's house.
McCulloch says she did not intend for the arrests to occur immediately before the holidays, but having the days off would give the students time to meet with Vice-Principal Jerry Halpin and determine whether or not expulsion was necessary.
"I'm not trying to make these kids' lives miserable," McCulloch said. What she wanted was to keep the non-students off campus. "I don't want these people around our campus or on our campus dealing drugs," McCulloch said.
Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District Superintendent Cindy Ranii said that although the district was minimally involved in the process, she respects McCulloch's decision to proceed with the operation. "I was confident in Ms. McCulloch and Captain Forrest ... that this was a very viable operation to keep our school safe," Ranii said. "We're certainly supportive of the action and are committed to doing everything we can to keep the school drug free."
The Dec. 20 arrests were not the first time local police have participated in an undercover drug operation at the school. Four years ago almost to the day, police charged six LGHS students with selling drugs after an agent from the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team conducted an undercover investigation. In 1994, a similar sting operation led to the arrest of 23 students and five adults.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
