Herndon Students Protest Punishment for Pranks Via Twitter

A group of seniors have been told they won’t be able to walk at their graduation because of pranks they played at the school on June 6 and students have started a twitter-based protest.

A letter sent to parents from the school says, “Throughout the day we experienced a number of unfortunate events that caused a major disruption to our school day.”

Principal William Bates told parents that he was notified by the building engineer at about 5 a.m. that the exterior of the building had been vandalized with paint. The students also poured baby oil on the floors in the main hallway, in the gym lobby and on two staircases.

The letter says students also pulled a fire alarm causing the entire school to evacuate on a day that students were scheduled to take SOLs and final exams. One person with knowledge of the incidents told Patch the fire alarm was not pulled by a senior.

“Today’s incidents caused a major safety concern for every student and adult in the building,” Bates’ letter says. “Any student who is caught engaging in these types of disruptive behaviors will face a suspension from the school and possible recommendation for expulsion.”

“Any student who disengages a fire alarm will be recommended for expulsion and charged by the police. Seniors caught engaging in these types of disruptive behaviors will not be permitted to participate in any of the scheduled graduation activities.”

NBC Channel 4 reports that the prank was pulled by Herndon senior Ashkan Naderi and five of his friends, but that they had nothing to do with the fire alarm being pulled. They have been suspended. Three of them, including Naderi have been banned from walking across the stage at Thursday's graduation.

The group of boys and their classmates are trying to protest via Twitter with the hash tags #lettheboyswalk and #lettheboyswalk2012. Students also wore T-shirts to school with the hashtagged phrase on them, but some students said on Twitter the administration made them take the shirts off.

Naderi told NBC 4 that they have attorneys that are looking into the controversy for them. (Watch Naderi's statement on video from NBC4 here.)

Note: This story was updated at 2:18 p.m. to clarify that the fire alarm was not pulled by a senior student, according to one source.

Update - June 11, 4:15 p.m.: The Fairfax Times is reporting that Naderi and others involved take responsibility for the baby oil only, and the fire alarm and spray paint were separate incidents.

A sample of the messages on Twitter:

•LaurOdactyl: Would it honestly be funny if a pregnant woman slipped down the stairs and lost her baby? No. Moronic teen boys. Don't #lettheboyswalk

Then LaurOdactyl posted: The GUYS INVOLVED knew a prank like that wouldn't be tolerated, STILL did it, & are trying to sue for being punished. Don't #lettheboyswalk

• marieantwanett: #LetTheBoysWalk , i would walk and every senior shake bates hand with baby oil !!

• JayKayEveryday: If the boys don't get to walk after all of this I along with the rest of the school will be extremely pissed. #LetTheBoysWalk2012

• Shaybaybayy: @shooomaker and @68AndI0U1 deserve to walk. You wait practically your whole life for graduation. #LetTheBoysWalk2012

• shooomaker: I just want to GRADUATE. Like I'm not trying to escape punishment, but make it anything other than not walking...that's alllll I want

• 68AndI0U1: We need everyone to keep tweeting #LetTheBoysWalk Please & Thank You!

• DoogieDuges19: People who don't think @shooomaker and @68AndI0U1 should walk are either underclassmen or don't know either of these boys well enough.

• Chimpansteen19: #lettheboyswalk2012 is so pointless. vandalizing your school is such a terrible prank, take responsibility for your actions.

• sydbaby2012: Seniors: can we do a sit-in or something?! Protest? Anything.#LetTheBoysWalk2012

• pezetter: Theses kids aren't villains... #LetTheBoysWalk

• shesagabster: It's not just about receiving a diploma, it's about walking with the people you've been with for the past 4 years. #LetTheBoysWalk2012

• danyavocado21: I'm class of 2011 but i respect this prank. herndon administrators need to chill #LetTheBoysWalk2012

• high_slim11: A mothers dream is always to see their kid walk across stage and get that diploma but Herndon is doing to much.#Lettheboyswalk2012