Three high school seniors in Maryland were suspended after allegedly duct-taping two freshmen to a flagpole.
A teacher shared a video online about the incident, which reportedly happened at a school. She said that on the first day of school, three seniors who were also members of the football team allegedly decided to duct-tape two freshmen to a flagpole. She added that the seniors also wrote the word “freshman” on the victims’ foreheads.
Once the teacher became aware of the incident, she suspended the three seniors for three days, referred them to the SRO and removed them from the football team. “I have a zero tolerance policy with bullying,” she said. The teacher added that, unfortunately, three days was the maximum suspension she could impose because it was their first offense.
The teacher then explained that the SRO could take further action if the victims’ parents wanted to press charges. She said she had informed the parents that they had the option to pursue charges if they chose to do so.
According to the teacher, two of the suspended students were not upset about allegedly bullying the freshmen or ruining their first day of school. Instead, she said they were upset about being removed from the football team. The father of one of the students also allegedly threatened to sue the district, claiming his son could lose a potential football scholarship. The teacher responded that she believed the student likely would not have received a scholarship because he was a second-string player. She ended the video by saying she believed she had done the right thing.
While some high school seniors may participate in first-day pranks as a tradition for welcoming or teasing freshmen, the alleged incident in Maryland appeared to go far beyond harmless fun. The situation highlights how a prank that students may view as a joke can have serious consequences when it involves physically restraining other students or humiliating them. It could potentially lead to disciplinary or legal action.
Viewers Slam Maryland High School Seniors Over Alleged Prank
The video sparked reactions online. Many viewers were left outraged after learning what the three Maryland seniors allegedly did. Some believed the students should have faced more serious consequences for duct-taping the freshmen to a flagpole. “I would have expelled them for assault,” one person wrote. Another person said, “That’s very traumatizing to a 13/14 year old child! Seniors are almost adults they know better!”
More people criticized the students over the alleged incident. Some were arguing that describing it simply as bullying minimized the seriousness of what reportedly happened. “Can we stop calling kidnapping and assault bullying??” one person wrote. Another told the teacher, “You did the right thing. If that was my child. I would 100 percent press charges on the teenagers that was involved.” Someone else said, “I really hope the freshmen and their parents press charges. Those 2 kids will suffer mentally for life. This is coming from someone who was horrifically bullied as a kid.”
The incident prompted discussion about how pranks carried out by high school seniors against freshmen can cross the line from harmless jokes into dangerous or inappropriate behavior. It also raised questions about whether reckless pranks should result in serious consequences. Some argued that strong disciplinary action could discourage other students from attempting similar acts and help prevent future incidents.
