100 Students Banned From Graduation, Deputy Fired, Principal Suspended After Senior Prank Gone Wrong

A senior prank gone horribly wrong has resulted in 100 students being banned from graduation ceremonies, a principal suspended without pay, a sheriff deputy without a job and three teachers filing worker’s compensation claims against the school. The prank happened at the Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, Tennessee. The prank ended with the school’s halls being filled with hay, trash, urine, and even dead animals.

WVLT reports that on April 30, 2015, the Sequoyah High School Class of 2015 entered the school to play an innocent prank on staff and teachers. One student notes that the prank was set to involve some glitter, balloons and toilet paper. However, things quickly got out of hand as more and more students arrived to terrorize the school. The report indicates that when all was said and done, the school was littered with garbage, urine and even a dead possum. The walls were covered in baby oil with chickens and crickets released to roam the school.

In addition to the filth, dead animals, and free roaming creatures, some students tore down expensive posters purchased by teachers and stole things from other students’ lockers. When school officials arrived at the school, they were shocked by the extent of the prank and initially said that all students involved would face community service. However, after realizing the extent of the vandalism, superintendent Tim Blankenship announced that all seniors involved in the prank will be blocked from graduation.

It wasn’t just students who were punished for the horrifying prank, the high school principal was also suspended without pay.

“After receiving additional details concerning the events that took place at Sequoyah High School on April 30, 2015, Director of Schools Tim Blankenship has suspended Principal Gary Cole indefinitely, pending an investigation. This suspension is without pay. Any further decision will be made when the investigation is concluded. “

In addition to the principal, a sheriff deputy also lost his job after letting the students into the school and giving a false report on the incident.

“I am sorry to announce that I had to terminate Deputy James Fisher who has served in the capacity of SRO at Sequoyah High School for Official Misconduct. When the incident was first reported Deputy Fisher gave Director Tim Blankenship and myself a false report about what happened. We reviewed the schools security video and when I spoke Deputy Fisher a second time he admitted to the false statement. The school has had three teachers file workman’s comp claims from this incident. The video shows him opening up the school helping the students carry items in and later leaving while the kids were still in the building. He then returns after receiving a call that the prank has gotten out of hand. I was also advised that there were other officers at the school that night but discovered they did not work for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.”

Do you think the students went too far with the senior prank? Should they be banned from graduation or would community service and repair of the damage be sufficient punishment?

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