HENDRICKS COUNTY -
A creative and colorful prank ended in suspension for five high school seniors. The pictures seem innocent enough, so why the harsh punishment?
It was an eventful day at Cascade High School in Hendricks County.
"It just floored us that all this has happened. It's blown so much out of proportion," said one student.
Five students were suspended for two days for a serious prank. The group posted 10,000 Post-It notes throughout the school - in the gym, all over doors, in the main lobby, hallways and in classrooms.
It seems to the group that the penalties were especially harsh since they used a school board member key to get in and even coordinated the time with the head custodian.
"As long as you guys aren't doing anything like vandalizing or destruction 'cause that'll just get you guys in trouble, and we were like, 'No, we're just gonna do Post It notes. It's easy, it's cheap and it's creative. It's fun," said Anthony Canaday, student.
"Us getting suspended is bad but the worst part was the janitor that was kind of their supervisor - just one of them - one of them got fired over this...over a whole sticky note situation," said Saxton Archer, student.
"My mom, she kind of got the axe for it and got fired just for supervising them and making sure they didn't do anything wrong," said Chase Wilson.
"There was lots more that they've done in that school. Sticky notes is very minor," said Kim Rouse.
Kim Rouse worked for almost a year as a custodian in the school. She lost her job over the incident.
"They told me they had permission; they had a key to get in and they had talked to the head custodian and they told him what they were gonna do," she said.
Dr. Patrick Spray, superintendent of Mill Creek Schools, explained the punishment.
"It had to do with accessing the building after hours without permission et cetera. It was just Post It notes; no damage, thank goodness, occurred. Nobody was injured, thank goodness. It's the unintended stuff that sometimes causes issues and so we're fortunate there was no damage but again, they didn't have permission to be on the premises and there were consequences for that," he said.
The parents are upset, saying the punishment does not fit the prank.
"To send them out of school the last week of finals, and we're talking the majority of seniors, is irresponsible," said Robert Canaday, parent.
Some students gathered in the school cafeteria wearing Post It notes to voice their displeasure over the suspensions.
"It's just a sticky situation," one of them joked. But it's no joke for the five suspended students.
The five seniors will miss Wednesday and Thursday. Since Friday is a flex day, they won't return until next week.
The seniors who pulled the prank say the punishment does not fit the crime.
Kim Rouse lost her job over the incident.
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