15 Students Caught Vandalizing Foothill High School
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – More than a dozen students at Foothill High School are facing disciplinary action after being caught spray-painting graffiti on campus in what's being called a senior prank.
A Twin Rivers School District police officer on regular patrol spotted 15 boys defacing the school on McCloud Drive early Tuesday morning. The group had sprayed graffiti on the front of the administration building and also on the school's gym. Some students also dumped a pile of dirt at the entrance to the school's parking lot.
The students were forced to paint over the graffiti so it could no longer be read. However, red and black paint could still be seen on the walls as other students began arriving for school.
"It is kind of depressing in a way," said student Jalen Brown upon seeing the graffiti.
Another student, Chris McArthur said, "I don't get it. Why would you do that kind of thing?"
The suspects in the senior prank also had to remove the dirt pile from the school's driveway.
The school is still investigating and tells CBS13 that there could be potential criminal charges. The district also says some of the students will not participate in graduation ceremonies when school ends on Thursday.
That news angered one parent, Peggy Nelson, who said her son didn't do any of the spray painting or egg throwing.
"I'm not giving up," she said. "These kids deserve to walk. The kids who did the spray paint don't, but some for some dirt? Come on! They're not walking for dirt. They got in trouble for putting dirt on the entrance over here."
Cody Nelson says he wasn't part of the spray painting group at all but is still having to pay the price.
"Yeah, we planned the dirt, but a few people showed up with spray paint and went into the school while others did the dirt," he said.
The school district has not confirmed whether any of the students will face vandalism charges, but some parents say the school is already pushing it too far with suspension.
"Ten kids that they're not going to allow walk," Peggy Nelson said. "They suspended them for three days. Graduation is this Thursday and that makes them not walk."
It's an action the school district defends as standard procedure.
"The principal and administration is making sure everyone plays by the same rules and understands what's expected of them," district spokesman Tom Janis said.
Someone also broke into the school's snack bar with a brick that was thrown through one of the windows. School officials say they are not sure if the break-in is related to the senior prank.
