FORT THOMAS — Police arrested a dozen teen-agers — including the son of a city councilman — in what they called an “open-air drug market” near Highlands High School on Friday morning. They brought police cruisers and a drug-sniffing dog onto the campus.

        The arrests — made before the start of school and off district property — were on charges of marijuana use, possession, and in some cases, trafficking within 1,000 yards of a school. The last charge is a felony that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Students fill a sidewalk during a class change at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas on Friday. (Glenn Hartong photos) | ZOOM |

        Fort Thomas police said they could make other arrests soon, as a result of a nine-day undercover operation. Authorities said they had videotape of six other people involved in illegal activities who were not present during the raid.

        “I work with the kids at the high school,” said Fort Thomas police spokesman Lt. Mark Dill, a graduate of Highlands. “I coach football there. We know that some are going to smoke tobacco and try drugs. But when you talk about trafficking drugs across from a school ... that is beyond a little high school experimentation. That is not what I expect to find around here. This is rare.”

        Fort Thomas is an upscale suburb in northern Campbell County. Highlands High, with about 2,300 students, regularly posts some of the highest test scores in the state and is known as a football powerhouse.

        Lt. Dill said students congregate at the grassy area before school to smoke cigarettes since smoking isn't allowed on school grounds.

        The last time drug-sniffing dogs were brought into the school was about four years ago, said Highlands Principal George Frakes.

Two police officers leave Highland High School after Friday's drug raid. | ZOOM |

        He said disciplinary actions are unlikely. The school has a zero drug tolerance on campus, Mr. Frakes said, but these drug activities wouldn't bring those penalties into play for students because the activities took place off school property.

        Fort Thomas police wouldn't release the surveillance video, saying it was part of an active investigation. Lt. Dill did describe one scene from the video in which students watch for a school official who regularly patrols outside of the school, stomping out their cigarettes and hiding the marijuana as the official walks through the area.

        Lee McGinley, a spokeswoman for the district, said: “This can happen in any school district. Some people make wrong decisions. We hope that all of our students will learn that all actions have consequences.”

        Arrested were Nick Stevens, 18, charged with trafficking, possession of marijuana and loitering; Dustin Gramstad, 18, charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering; and Alan Haas, 18, charged with possession of a prescription drug not in its proper container. Mr. Haas is son of Fort Thomas councilman Eric Haas.

        Nine juveniles were charged with a total of three counts of trafficking, seven counts of possession of marijuana and four counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

        The group of students arrested ranged in age from 14 to 18 and included males and females, according to Lt. Dill.

        The three adults likely will be arraigned Monday in Campbell County District Court.

        Large amounts of marijuana were not confiscated, Lt. Dill said, adding that what was taken included marijuana cigarettes and marijuana packaged in small plastic bags.

        Since Fort Thomas does not have a drug-sniffing dog,one from Newport police was brought in to sweep the high school for drugs. The only items confiscated from school grounds were a small bag of marijuana found in an un- assigned foot locker and an unidentified pill.

        Lt. Dill said the investigation and subsequent raid came about because of residents complaining about students smoking and selling marijuana outside the school. Mr. Frakes said the school wasn't given advance notice of the raid.

       Lori Hayes contributed to this report.

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