Banned from grad for senior prank

**sparks19** · 05-31-2007, 07:58 PM

Ok I wish I could find the story but so far have been unsuccessful.

They were talking about it on a talk radio station today.

Here is the just of it:

A boy was suspended from school for the last week or so and banned from attending his high school grad ceremony for gluing a couple cafeteria trays together as a senior prank.

during a meeting with the mother, the son and the "superintendant" the boy and the superintendant were yelling at each other and the boy said "this is F***** bullsh*t"
the boy is not allowed on school property and cannot attend his highschool grad.

IMO, this is a little much. YES he should be punished for a stupid prank. suspend him.... make him wash trays in the cafeteria... whatever. but banning him from his graduation for a silly prank? that seems a bit much to me.

and furthermore if I were that mother in that meeting I would first address my child and tell him that under NO circumstance is he to EVER use that kind of language or speak to his elders in that tone and that if he wishes to resolve the situation he better smarten up. After that I would tell the superintendant the same thing..... he is an ADULT. there is NO need to yell and raise his voice and talk down to a student..... He cannot expect a teen to keep his voice under control when he as an adult cannot do the same. it would not be tolerated by either of them IMO.

but it just seems that this kid is being denied a life changing moment and life long memory for something so stupid and petty. I mean, there are kids out there that harass, abuse, and basically torture other students and yet NOTHING is done about it. This kid pulls a stupid prank and he is banned from school property and his grad?

Now I certainly believe this boy should face a consequence for his lack of good judgement but by no means should his punishment be THIS.

**K9soul** · 05-31-2007, 08:03 PM

I'd need to know more details before I formed an opinion. I.e. What was being "yelled" by the superintendent, things can really be reported in a slanted way at times. What is the kid's history, was this a last straw type of situation for a kid who had been pushing his luck for too long now. How were the parents dealing with it and so on. It's just too vague for me to really state an opinion one way or another.

**Lady's Human** · 05-31-2007, 08:05 PM

If I spoke like that to my boss at work I would be out on a suspension. If he doesn't learn cause and effect now, he never will. Somehow I doubt this is the kid's only issue.

**mike001** · 05-31-2007, 08:11 PM

I would need more info also, but if the boy can use foul language like that it means he uses it all the time so he probably deserved what he got. I have to lean on the side that it was probably the last straw.

**Alysser** · 05-31-2007, 08:18 PM

I would like a full story on this too..

But if those are all the details, then I agree with you 100%, Sparks19. I think the punishment should have been much less extreme. I've seen shows where the seniors do much worse pranks like putting a car in the school, and they don't get half the punishment this kid got. Maybe the bad language was just the last straw that broke the camel's back? I am unsure of this but, it is still too extreme for such a silly thing. I would have given the kid 2 dententions, one for the prank and one for the language. Then, I'd make him was the trays, but not being able to attend graduation?? I think that's wrong, highschool graduations are a very memorable thing to miss.

**Laura's Babies** · 05-31-2007, 08:21 PM

For some reason, I doubt he was stopped from going to the graduation for the tray incident, it was the language he used in that meeting. Two wrongs do not make a right and if he'd kept his mouth shut, they could/would have had a case against that principle for his behavior. The kind of language he used is not acceptable anywhere, anytime and it does have consequences and he knew it. If it is all as you reported, I think the principle did the right thing.... But I would also add, as his mother, if a principle started yelling at my chikd, I would have took my child and walked out of that meeting.

The whole 21 years I worked at school, the senior prank was to toilet paper the english teachers house... it was a school tradition.... wonder if that is still going on?

**sparks19** · 05-31-2007, 09:25 PM

it was local .... I wish I could remember the name of the school district. but it is close to here.

According to the discussion.... the boy had never had issues at school. He was never suspended and had never had trouble with the teachers. The mother had never received any complaints from the school about her sons behaviour. so she claimed.

Also, the superintendant was reportedly berating and belitting the boy in the meeting and yelling back at the boy. I would NOT tolerate my child talking that way .... but on the other hand this person is in a position of authority and is an adult.... if he cannot show self control during a meeting with the parent and child then he has no business being in that sort of position. does that excuse the boys language? no it does not.

The meeting was set up by the mother BECAUSE the school called and told her that her son could not attend graduation for the tray incident.... this was before the language and the yelling in the meeting. so yes he was banned for the prank.

shoudl this kid be punished? of course he should. I just do not think he should be denied his graduation. He was suspended for the rest of the year..... I believe he should have to pay damages and perhaps a fine..... I also believe he should have to do some community service work for the school. I think this is plenty to teach cause and effect. Not banning him from an event that is 2 weeks after the deed. Punish him NOW for what he did. not two weeks from now.

**sparks19** · 05-31-2007, 09:39 PM

ARGH..... I am looking for the article but I apparently need to be more specific because a bunch of unrelated junk comes up everytime.

I will have to ask hubby when he gets home or tomorrow if he remembers the school district name.... that will probably help.

**Edwina's Secretary** · 05-31-2007, 09:52 PM

Gosh...I sure hope mommy and the media are there to bail him out when he uses that kind of language in the workplace. Where he most likely will be fired.

**ratdogg** · 05-31-2007, 09:58 PM

People who go into education as a career generally don't try to live their life as a high school teacher or administrator. They do tend to be people who were unsuccessful in pursuing a university position (just like jr.college police are failed police officers). I'm not trying to offend people, but um...high school isn't a great achievement in the education field. There are many many MANY poor principals and superintendents. Its not far fetched to believe a human in this position would lose their self control and engage a teenager in a name calling and power trip fight.

**catnapper** · 05-31-2007, 08:13 PM

was it a local story or something national?

**lizbud** · 06-03-2007, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by sparks19

but it just seems that this kid is being denied a life changing moment and life long memory for something so stupid and petty. I mean, there are kids out there that harass, abuse, and basically torture other students and yet NOTHING is done about it. This kid pulls a stupid prank and he is banned from school property and his grad?

Seems to me the kid did have his "life changing moment" when he
decided to give in to a childish prank. Choices in life have consequences.
It's about time the boy learned that.