A West Point football player got hooked on pain pills after he suffered an injury at football practice. Now he owes the government $300,000.
“I knew I had teammates that had pills,” Rogers said. “Guys that were out of surgery, had a prescription and wanted to help out their teammate.”
So he went outside the team and found a cadet who was dealing. A fellow football player introduced him, Rogers said, and soon he was meeting regularly with the man to buy more powerful 30-mg Percocet pills for $30 each. When the dealer asked Rogers to borrow his car to pick up drugs, Rogers never considered the possibility that doing so could lead to allegations that he was participating in a drug ring.
The West Point senior was in a bind. If he were to admit to one of his superiors that he was battling a drug addiction, he feared he would be forced to leave school. For cadets, the stakes are even higher. Self-reporting a drug problem could lead to the end of their schooling and a mandate to repay the cost of their education.
"These punishments send the message that addiction is not a health issue — but rather a character flaw or moral failing,” he said. “This message is incorrect and dangerous and prevents people from seeking help when they need it most.”Rogers was at his girlfriend’s house in early March 2016 when he received the call that would upend his life.
Rogers was two months away from graduating, but his future was now in doubt. With the failed drug test hanging over him, he wasn’t sure if he’d be allowed to graduate.For the first time, Rogers opened up about his struggles in conversations with his professors. Some of them would later say they were struck by his ability to focus on his classes despite the uncertainty of his future.
But he was ordered to return to West Point where he says he was placed in barracks with his primary dealer and the other cadets who scored drugs from him. Rogers was allowed to see a drug counselor about once a week but he said he was otherwise not allowed to leave the installation, even to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings. He and the five other cadets were ordered to report to a room, for 12 hours a day, filing paperwork.
Asked about the decision to place Rogers in barracks with the other cadets who failed drug tests, West Point said it could not provide specific information due to privacy concerns. “It was devastating. It was shocking,” Rogers said. “And at the time it made me want to use more to cope.” Rogers said he came to believe that he would have no problem beating the distribution charge. “I didn’t sell one single unit of a pain pill to anyone,” he said.
“It is not fair that Jared faces such monstrous debt, especially considering the fact that his ability to gain meaningful employment is hampered by his lack of a college degree,” Mayer wrote. The Army decided otherwise. Rogers was given an other than honorable discharge and ordered to repay the government $256,275.00.“My son didn’t show up at West Point a drug addict,” said his father, Carl Rogers. “West Point made him a drug addict.”
Jacobs said the military’s primary concern when making personnel decisions is how they affect the rest of the force. “It’s unfortunate that he had a drug problem, but that doesn’t absolve him of his actions.” The West Point spokeswoman said the Army “fully investigated” the allegations made by Rogers but she could not comment on whether any action was taken against the specific individuals alleged to have provided him with pills.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
A West Point football player got hooked on pain pills. Now he owes the U.S. $300KJared Rogers was looking forward to serving his country and pursuing a career in engineering. Then he suffered an injury at football practice.
続きを読む »
5 Numbers Explaining Why This Week May Be A Tipping Point For The EconomyHere are 5 numbers explaining why this week may be a tipping point for the economy: by theothersarahh
続きを読む »
'The Walking Dead' recap: The war hits a shocking turning pointSome of the year's biggest blockbuster movies have been pulled, New York's Broadway theaters are shut down, pretty much every major pop culture event you…
続きを読む »
Coronavirus Should Be a Turning Point for the Music IndustryIt’s the nightmare scenario that calls the viability of the whole business structure into question.
続きを読む »
Mom's PSA Makes an Important Point About How Harmful Overbuying Protective Masks IsChristine Fego Martin, whose 10-year-old daughter has cancer, is pleading with people to stop buying protective masks out of fear of the coronavirus.
続きを読む »
This past week signaled a turning point in America's health emergencyCoronavirus drastically altered the rhythms of ordinary life in the US as the scope of the outbreak swiftly changed. Here's how it happened
続きを読む »