During the Labor Day weekend, a group of North Kitsap High school students got together and did what some teenagers are known to do when their parents aren’t looking: they drank alcohol. When the proof showed up in the semi-public forum of Facebook — photos of students drinking were posted on the social networking site — one of the student’s parents notified the school this happened.

Because the students involved were athletes, and because drinking alcohol is a direct violation of the code of conduct the students signed just a few days earlier, the school stepped in.

Students from at least four of the seven fall sports teams were yanked off the rosters for at least 15 days. Yes, some of these kids were great athletes on whom the coaches and other teammates rely. No matter; they broke the rules, plain and simple.

There are several lessons to be learned here for both parents and students.

First, parents, consider this a wake-up call. High school kids, when given the motive and opportunity, just might drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a 2009 survey of high school students showed that, in the 30 days before the survey: 42 percent drank some amount of alcohol; 24 percent binge drank; 10 percent drove after drinking alcohol; and 28 percent rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.

Think it’s not your kid? You may be surprised.

As for the students, there are two lessons here: actions have consequences and, in high school — especially in the days of social networking and instant messaging — nothing stays secret for very long.

The one positive thing out of this situation is that the North Kitsap High staff did the right thing in not sweeping this under the rug. While it likely was not easy, investigating the situation and administering punishment was clearly the right thing to do.