About 35 Baldwin County High School seniors have been told that they can't take part in the school's graduation following a senior prank last week.
The students, according to school officials, ran through the cafeteria Thursday, soaking the area with water balloons and water guns.
Some property was damaged in the cafeteria and two students suffered panic attacks - one required a call to 911.
After looking at video of it on the school's security cameras, administrators told parents Saturday that their child will not be participating in the graduation ceremony.
Valeria Wells is one of the parents. She understands that consequences comes with every action, but she doesn't think that this punishment is fair.
"We have parents that this is their first child graduating. You could never get another school graduation. High school Graduation is a once in a life time thing," said Wells.
Student Michaela Wynn, who lost her mother months ago was left in tears Monday morning.
"For me, I feel like I let my mom down, because all she ever talked about while she was here was she wanted to see me graduate go off to college and be somebody so this is really hurting me," said Wynn.
She says the prank was intended for fun. She along with a group of seniors mentioned that other seniors conducted senior pranks at the school, but nothing to this extent has happened, According to the School and Community Relations Coordinator, Byron H. Wellman, there were no senior pranks at Baldwin High School dating back 10 years.
"This is one of the high points of her life. it really hurt her to find out that she could miss graduation. I understand mistakes were made by the kids ... the punishment was way too harsh. they worked 12 years of their lives to have it torn down ... for things that kids do," said Tramaine Reeves, a parent.
Senior students like Wynn, says she wants to have the chance to walk across the stage and make her mother proud.
"We'll do community service anything at this point at least to just get this walk across the stage. We can only do it once and we will never get this time back," said Wynn.
There are 278 students in the Baldwin County graduating class, so about one out of eight seniors won't take part in the ceremony.
Superintendent Noris Price released the following statement:
Last week, a number of students were involved in a dangerously disruptive and premeditated
senior prank. These students disregarded the directives of the resource officer, teachers and
administrators creating a total disruption to the operation of the school.
Students who were involved in the incident will not be allowed to participate in the graduation
ceremony. They will still graduate with their diplomas and any honors that they achieved during
their high school years. Please know that the safety of our students and staff is our number one
priority and the senior prank which involved dressing in black, wearing white masks, and
storming the cafeteria and other areas of the school with water guns and water balloons creating
a very dangerous and unsafe situation.
