Hartland Principal Ticketed for Hosting Graduation Party With Minor Drinking

Argentine Township police have ticketed a Hartland school principal and her husband for hosting a graduation party with underage drinking, their attorney has confirmed.

But Matt Norwood, attorney for principal Tracey Sahouri and her husband, Raed, said the couple will fight the tickets, going to a trial if necessary.

Violating the party host law is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or $1,000 fine.

Norwood said the couple told him they were cleaning up inside at the end of the party for their child when they discovered that uninvited minors had brought alcohol to a bonfire outside their Argentine Township home on July 9.

Once the Sahouris became aware of the underage drinking when a teenage girl needed medical assistance, the couple took the alcohol away from teens, poured the drinks out, took their car keys and called police, Norwood said. He said they were unable to stop all the teens, some of whom fled the property.

"I don't think they did anything wrong," Norwood said. "They acted as responsible parents and adults."

Hartland Patch could not reach Argentine Township police for comment Tuesday, but investigators told the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus in a Tuesday story the Sahouris didn't provide alcohol but knew that dozens of minors were drinking from coolers at the party. The paper reported witnesses telling police that the teen needing medical help—a 16-year-old Linden girl—hadn't been drinking until the party.

The girl, who had to be taken to the hospital, has since been treated and released, the article said.

Norwood said he couldn't comment on the details of the story because he hadn't seen it, but he said no one is disputing the presence of alcohol. He said what's key is the Sahouris acted appropriately once they found out alcohol was being illegally consumed there.

"I'd like to find out" why the Sahouris are being charged, he said.

The Hartland School District is reopening its investigation into the incident, according to Scott VanEpps, Hartland's assistant superintendent of personnel.

VanEpps said Tuesday the district had looked into the situation last week after hearing rumors of the incident but stopped its investigation after it learned Tracey Sahouri hadn't been ticketed.

"(Her being ticketed) prompted us to reopen the investigation, so that's what we'll do," said VanEpps, who declined to comment further.

Norwood, a Flint-based attorney, said the case would be handled at the district court level in Genesee County and prosecuted by the Argentine Township attorney. If a trial is necessary, he predicted it wouldn't happen until this fall.