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VIERA, Fla. — Former elementary school principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan was sentenced Monday to two years of supervised probation after pleading no contest to three misdemeanor charges connected to a teen house party at her Cocoa Beach home, according to the Office of the State Attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit.
In a press release issued Feb. 2, the state attorney’s office said Hill-Brodigan pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of holding an open house party and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency or dependency of minors. The charges stem from a house party the office said Hill-Brodigan allowed at her Cocoa Beach home in January 2025 that involved underage drinking and led to multiple incidents, including one student who was evaluated by paramedics for alcohol poisoning and another who was arrested for DUI.
“Our objective in this case was accountability along with sentencing conditions that would prevent similar dangerous behavior in the future. Mrs. Hill-Brodigan’s plea and sentence achieve those things. As I said when we filed charges, Florida’s laws dealing with open house parties and underage drinking are meant to keep our young people and communities safe. When those laws are violated, the State Attorney’s Office stands with law enforcement, the school board and the community to hold offenders accountable and ensure the safety of our youth.”
The press release is available here: State Attorney William Scheiner’s statement on the former principal’s sentence.
As part of the plea agreement, the state attorney’s office said Hill-Brodigan must comply with several restrictions during the two-year probation period, including:
The state attorney’s office said adjudication will be withheld if Hill-Brodigan successfully completes the terms of probation.
Hill-Brodigan previously worked as principal at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Cocoa Beach. In April 2025, the state attorney’s office publicly announced charges connected to the Cocoa Beach party involving Hill-Brodigan and another educator. That earlier release is here: State Attorney files charges against women for roles at Cocoa Beach party.
Under Florida law, the “open house party” statute generally applies when an adult in control of a residence allows a gathering where minors possess or consume alcohol or certain drugs and reasonable steps are not taken to stop it. (See Florida Statute 856.015.) Florida’s “contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child” law is found in Florida Statute 827.04.
According to available public records, neither the Brevard Public Schools District nor the Florida Department of Education have taken action against the teaching certificates of Hill-Brodigan or teacher Karly Anderson who was also charged and convicted by a jury over the incident.
