The Alamance-Burlington School System suffered thousands of dollars in damages at Walter Williams High School from a string of senior pranks that occurred at six high schools in the district.
According to an ABSS Board of Education press release, over 80 students were identified as being involved in senior pranks that cost the district more than $4,000 in damages. The most destructive of the pranks took place at Walter Williams High School, where cement was poured into eight toilets and six urinals. Toilets, urinals, piping, flooring, desks, furniture and walls were all among the damaged property.
The Burlington Police Department press release details the events, in which Burlington police were dispatched to WWHS right before midnight after security alarms were activated. As officers reportedly arrived on scene, a group of juveniles ran from the school.
After reviewing surveillance video and interviewing people, five 18-year-old male students were charged with Breaking and Entering and Injury to Real Property, both of which are misdemeanors. Benjamin Ouzts, Alex Solari, Ethan Clements, Cameron Cheek and Jacob Church are the individuals who have been charged.
The individuals either declined or did not respond to Elon News Network’s requests for comment.
Cement was poured into urinals at Walter Williams High School. Other photos released by ABSS detail a moped left on the roof, spray paint on walls, dead fish left on the property and eggs thrown at walls. Photo courtesy of ABSS.
Additionally, two minors who were allegedly involved in the pranks were referred to Youth Diversion. The names of these individuals have not been released to the public.
Sandy Ellington-Graves has served as the Board Chair of the ABSS Board of Education since 2020. In an email to Elon News Network, Ellington-Graves said that out of the 1,572 graduated high school seniors from the class of 2023, a total of 83 — about 5.3% of the total class — were identified by ABSS principals and banned from walking at their graduation ceremonies.
Emily Keck, the mother of a student who was involved in senior pranks at Eastern Alamance High School, said she does not feel the school system handled the situation appropriately. Keck said she is part of a network of parents who are frustrated that students involved in non-destructive pranks faced similar punishments from ABSS to the students who allegedly damaged school property.
“They were attending a planned event that occurs every single year as a senior,” Keck said. “The principal was aware. She asked them what they were going to do. And she said, ‘as long as no damage was done.’ The doors were left open for the students. Then, on Monday, we received an email stating that they would no longer be able to walk at their elementary school and they would not be able to attend the senior picnic but would be able to graduate.”
According to Keck, senior pranks at EAHS are an annual tradition that has never resulted in disciplinary action against students.
“This is an event that takes place every single year, and no one ever has gotten in trouble. Never,” Keck said.
In addition to their official statement, ABSS posted a collection of photos containing the aftermath of the pranks to Facebook along with a brief caption stating they were sharing the photos in an effort to show the community the extent of the damages and the impacts they had.
This post was met with scrutiny from commenters who were displeased with the administration’s response to the events.
“In an effort of transparency ABSS should also let the public know that the district did not follow their own published Code of Conduct when disciplining the vast majority of the students who had their graduation taken away from them,” one user commented on Facebook. “Per your own Code of Conduct all students punished for trespassing should have been given a hearing and punishment issued by individual principals, not the superintendent! You can’t have parents and students sign and agree to a Code of Conduct each year and then decide not to follow your own policies! No doubt the superintendent and BOE should have done better in this case.”
Keck said she feels that many of the seniors involved in the pranks at EAHS have been misrepresented by ABSS Superintendent Dain Butler as a result of being grouped in with the students at Walter Williams High School.
“I mean, all these kids are leaders and honor students and top 10 Kids and etc.,” Keck said. “He is making them sound like they're delinquents.”
ABSS Superintendent Dain Butler did not respond to Elon News Network’s multiple requests for comment.
Several students have also declined or not responded to Elon News Network’s multiple requests for comment.