BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – During a plea hearing Monday, a former principal of an elementary school accused of hosting an underage drinking party was sentenced to two years of probation.
Former Roosevelt Elementary principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan was arrested last year when police said they found more than 100 underage teens at the party, including many who had been drinking.
Brodigan was supposed to be sentenced a couple of weeks ago, but Judge Kathryn Speicher wanted to allow teens at the party to testify in court should they wish, so the plea and sentencing hearing was postponed to Monday.
Ultimately, the state said those teens decided they didn’t want to take the stand.
A fired Roosevelt teacher, Karly Anderson, was also at the ex-principal’s house with the teens during the alcohol-filled “white lie party,” as police called it.
“One girl had gotten a DUI, another child was passed out,” assistant state attorney Julia Lynch said.
[RELATED: Brevard teacher placed on leave at new job after bodycam video showed her at teen house party]
Your Cocoa Beach Community Correspondent, James Sparvero, asked the prosecutor if she wanted Brodigan to serve jail time. Anderson, last year, was only sentenced to probation.
“I will say, we are not seeking that at this time,” Lynch answered.
Sparvero also asked Brodigan questions as she left court on Jan. 20. She didn’t answer any of them.
Brodigan also didn’t answer whether she still allows her sons to throw parties (students told police that parties at the ex-principal’s house happened once or twice a month), nor did she answer if she wants to be a teacher or principal again.
On Monday, when her sentencing was official, Brodigan didn’t answer Sparvero when he asked how she felt about not having to return to jail.
The prosecutor did explain why she chose not to seek jail time.
“I don’t think this was a type of case at this juncture that required it,” Lynch said. “I think that what we got resolved with a plea addresses the needs of the community and takes care of a problem that got out of control. It ensures that it won’t happen again.”
Brodigan’s probation conditions include no parties.
“There are to be no house parties at your home, or gatherings, where alcohol and/or marijuana is being possessed or used, and minors, or persons, less than 21 years of age are present,” Judge Speicher said.
The state dropped the felony charge Brodigan was facing — child neglect.
That charge could have carried a prison sentence.