I didn't go to a high school that was huge on pranks, but some of the pranks that I've heard go down in the States are legendary. I don't think this one hits the legendary category, but I'm sure it was pretty ridiculous to see some chickens running through the school hallways.
By Sergio Bichao - mycentraljersey.com
The chickens are coming home to roost for a couple of high school students who thought releasing live chickens into their school would make for a good senior prank last month.
But instead of chuckling at the fowl play, angry Woodbridge High School officials called the police and this week suspended the four students, who are now facing criminal charges.
The students and their parents are saying officials overreacted to the practical joke.
Tyler Bruno and Anthony Cesareo, both 17, and Bryan Pater, 18, were among the students suspended for five days. They'll also lose their "senior privileges,'' which include being able to attend their prom and walking during graduation ceremonies.
They were each charged with a disorderly persons offense and trespassing, charges that in the worst-case scenario could land them each six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, although such a harsh sentence would be unlikely, Woodbridge police Lt. Carl Lizzano said.
Principal Arthur Lee Warren has now barred other students from wearing black T-shirts depicting a cartoon chicken in support of the accused, an act the students say violates their freedom of speech.
Woodbridge police declined to release information about the underage students and wouldn't voluntarily provide police reports or names for the two 18-year-olds. But Bruno, Cesareo and Pater spoke with television reporters and the Home News Tribune about their punishment.
Bruno said the friends bought the red and black chickens in Newark and slid them through a first-floor window that had been left unlocked and open. A janitor reportedly found the chickens before the start of school that day.
Bruno said he cooperated with police after school officials fingered him as "a person of interest.''
Warren said students were disciplined based on information the police provided the school.
"I don't call it a prank; I call it an incident that should not have happened,'' Warren said. "We are not looking for a disruption of the school day or year.''
Lizzano defended the police department's response.
"We realize it's a prank and we don't want to charge people with crimes they shouldn't be charged with. But you don't want to make light of the incident. What's next, you bring a cow into the school?'' he said. "It was funny, but wrong.''
Cesareo hopes all the public scrutiny will convince school officials to restore their senior privileges.
"It makes them look bad. They're not letting kids (walk at graduation) over a chicken? It sounds ridiculous,'' he said.
Still, he admits they deserve some punishment.
"There should be a five-day suspension, but taking away the prom and not allowing us to not do anything, that's too much for that.''