With the school year winding down to an end, it is a time for high school seniors to enjoy their final days before graduating and facing new challenges in life.
Unfortunately, the lazy last days of Middletown High School South’s year were marred when a food fight broke out in the cafeteria last week.
While the idea of a cafeteria food fight may sound harmless, the June 13 incident at Middletown High School South was a reminder of how detrimental a school prank can be to some students and staff.
The careless actions of about 20 students believed by school Principal Daniel J. Lane to have planned the food fight, resulted in an alleged assault on a teacher and the suspension of an 18-year-old senior from school for the remainder of the year.
The high school special education teacher became involved in the incident as he was escorting his class out of the cafeteria and the line of fire.
While moving his students to safety, the teacher was allegedly hit by food.
In response, the teacher attempted to stop one of the students from continuing to throw food at others in the cafeteria that morning.
As the teacher intervened, the 18-year-old student allegedly slammed his body into the teacher.
As a result, the teacher filed criminal charges against the high school senior, who was escorted out of the school in handcuffs by township police and barred from attending his own graduation.
After the fight, Lane emphatically told the students in the cafeteria that he and the district would not tolerate the behavior exhibited during the food fight. Unfortunately the damage had been done.
District administrators said they would dole out the harshest punishment appropriate in the case, but it is a shame that, on the verge of joining the adult world, the student nearly sabotaged his dreams with such a childish act.
The unfortunate incident is a grim reminder of how quickly and easily a dream of graduating with your high school senior class can be dashed.