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Alexander Price, an 18-year old from Hawaii, spent nearly two days in custody after being arrested in his Thurston Hall room early Sunday morning, according to a police report of the incident. The report documented that Price admitted to possession of nine bags of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and $733.64 in cash. He said he was supplying his roommates with marijuana for alcohol, according to court documents.
Coach Scott Reed and Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz booted the scholarship athlete off the water polo team. Price faces a Nov. 20 court date when, if convicted, he could face a maximum of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to D.C. law. He also awaits a decision from Student Judicial Services on his status at GW.
GW does not drug-test its athletes, and NCAA drug tests do not test for street drugs. The NCAA only tests one team per school each year, and the water polo team has not been tested in four years, senior Jack Hornberger, the team's captain, told The Hatchet for an Oct. 12 story about drug testing in the athletic department.
The University has not yet decided Price's fate, Reed said. If a student is found in violation of the distribution of drugs, they could face suspension or expulsion from the University, Tara Woolfson, the director of SJS, wrote in an e-mail. The minimum sanction for the possession and intent to sell drugs is a one-year suspension, according to the Code of Student Conduct. For a first-time possession of alcohol charge, a student could incur a $50 fine and be required to attend an alcohol class.
But Price, as a scholarship athlete, may lose more. Although Kvancz said he couldn't lose his scholarship for at least a year, his coach said he is unsure if he'll play for GW again. Price, who last had a goal against Chapman (Calif.) Oct. 7., receives a partial scholarship.
