CALEDONIA -- The students being charged with burglary following a senior prank at Caledonia High School say they've satisfied the school's demands for restitution but can't understand why the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office insists on charging them with a felony.
Five students, including the senior class president and the vice president and prom queen, and one 2009 graduate confessed to entering the school around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning and pouring baby oil and vegetable oil in two hallways and placing zip-ties on lockers.
The students' parents reported that during a meeting with CHS Principal Randy Barnett all the school asked was for the families to cover the cost of cleaning up the mess. Each student was given until Friday to pay $104 or they would not be allowed to graduate. The parents say the entire balance has been paid and the students will participate in graduation ceremonies.
They say the LCSO has not been as lenient.
"They're going to ruin my daughter's life with a felony over this?" asked an incredulous Chris Jones, father of Kelsey Jones, one of the seniors charged with burglary.
Jones and the parents of two more of the charged students spoke to The Dispatch Thursday. All expressed a willingness to see their children punished for breaking the law, but none believe a felony charge is warranted. Community service was the consensus appropriate punishment.
"I think they should have to clean up the school every weekend for six months," said Schatzi Whitehead, Kori Hankins' mother. "I know they need to be punished, but they don't need to have their lives ruined over vegetable oil. These kids have scholarships. You can't (receive financial aid) at a four-year college with a felony."
Furthermore, parents and students are angered at LCSO investigator Tony Cooper, whom they say offered to "take it easy" on the teens if they confessed when they were gathered at the Caledonia Marshal's office Tuesday afternoon.
"(Cooper) told us if we just told the truth that things would be a lot better. They would help us out a lot," said Sunnie Rushing, another of the five students being charged.
"He said last year they had an incident (at CHS) where six kids broke into the concession stand. Five kids lied and one didn't and the one that told the truth, they helped," added Hankins. "We told them the exact story. These cops have known us all our lives. We felt comfortable enough telling them the story. The next thing I know, they're charging us with burglary and a felony.
"I'm thinking, these cops just told us if we told the truth they would help us out. I feel like we were lied to. We got the worst possible thing that could happen to us."
Cooper and representatives from the LCSO did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
A transport van was called to the marshal's office and the students were handcuffed and shackled, per policy, and transported to the Lowndes County jail. On the way, they claim the van driver told them they would be strip searched at the jail.
Upon arrival at the jail, the students were fingerprinted and photographed and forced to wait in a holding cell until their parents arrived and signed a $2,000 signature bond.
"She won't ever trust a policeman again," Chris Jones said of his daughter.
Kelsey Jones says the group never would have pulled the prank if they knew the potential consequences. She says five additional students were originally supposed to participate, but backed out of the plan.
"I hope they reduce the charges, but after everything that's happened I really don't know what to expect," said Jones. "I'm taking it pretty hard. I don't want a felony on my record for the rest of my life."
Jones has only left her house once since Tuesday to attend graduation practice. She says she and the other charged students received strong moral support from their classmates.
Sunnie Rushing says she can feel the tension in the community.
"It's very hard. But I know people are watching my reaction and how I hold up to it. I know I have to stay strong and admit my mistakes and move on," she said.
Hankins said she had a feeling as the group was committing the prank that they would get caught. They knew the school had security cameras and the lights were on Tuesday morning. Caledonia Marshal Ben Kilgore said the group had hoods and hats on to disguise their identities.
The charged students say investigators showed the security footage to several CHS students and asked them to identify the students on the tape.
Hankins' premonition proved true, but she never considered the consequences would be as severe as a felony.
"I was thinking more along the lines of 'When are we going to have to clean the school?' or 'When are we going to have to have community service?' Not 'When are we going to have to have a grand jury?'" she said.
Eddie Rushing, Sunnie's father, says the felony charge is unwarranted because the students didn't damage or steal anything.
"Trespassing would have been sufficient. Burglary is a very serious offense. They had no intention of that and the law knows that," he said.
Lowndes County School District Superintendent Mike Halford conceded there was no "major damage" to the school. Otherwise, he says the students likely would not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies.
"If it was really something severe I would have far more details. There's a lot of difference in not having 24 credits and pulling a prank," he said.
All students and parents reached for comment expressed their belief the media has blown the story out of proportion.
Hankins, Jones and Rushing, all 18, were joined in the prank by fellow seniors Stephanie Hopper and Kara Von Kanel, also 18, and Patrick McIntyre, 19, a 2009 CHS graduate. Hankins is the senior class Student Government Association president. Rushing is the vice president and 2010 prom queen.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
