The only people on here who are against the kids are people who have no fun in there life. They are just jealous they didnt have the guts to do a senior prank. They are having regrest nw. This punishment is crazy. the police are the ones who wrecked the swingset.
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If that isn't the most childish argument you could make in this instance.
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I don't like that the school won't let this kids participate in graduation but completely understand why they must take a strong stand. Personally, I predict they will get to participate, my senior prank led to the same threat, people were scared, then the ban was lifted.
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The school can't just slap on the wrist because the next time an accident could happen and then what.
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Yes, the read the "what if" comment but isn't that exactly what DUI's are all about. I lose my license for a time on my first offense. Why, because when that wasn't the case and people were killed by the guy on this 3rd or 4th offense people asked, how and why wasn't this person punished more before he/she killed someone.
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A message must be sent not because anyone believes this is/was a huge deal but because the next prank could be.
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BTW, I have plenty of fun but have grown up enough to see the other point of view.

I read another article somewhere else yesterday that said they are letting them participate in their graduation ceremonies but the other punishment still stands. I find that reasonable. These "kids" should be acting more like adults than kids , they are going out into the world now!

I think we all read the same articles one here and I can't even believe some of you would think taking away graduation would be OK?? I mean really how many articles have been about heroin, drugs, under-age drinking?? Did you know we had a group of boys at Craig run through a game with their speedos on? They were banned from sports and that was it!! It is clean fun!! These kids are the ones who have been accepted to colleges and have scholarships!! If they are banned from graduation we are sending the message that their hard work means nothing just because they made one mistake! Yes, they should have a punishment that shows them how their actions could of effectsed others, but taking away a ceremony they EARNED is WAY too harsh!! We have bigger problems in our high schools then this! The officer who acted out of anger(I'm assuming) and pushed the thing off the roof sure didn't set any example!! I will hope the rest of the graduating class sits and stands up for thier fellow LEADERS of their class!!!!

gbpacker: Have you been to a special ed classroom? They have balls, blocks, toys, stuffed animals, cartoon DVDs, etc.., Just like mainstream kids, they learn in different ways and teachers use non-traditional techniques to draw out their strengths and optimize their learning. Big deal if a swing set is at a high school, what makes a difference if this was an "inappropriate" swingset/jungle gym or not? Are these "kids" any less wrong? They thought they were being funny, but instead gave new meaning to the phrase "last comic standing!"
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I agree with what Mikki said....
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For every action their is a reaction. If these kids were valedvictorian and in the top 5%, they surely are smart enough to knkow via deductive reasoning, osmosis, derivatives, pythagorean theorems that they were wrong!
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I love the people on here who say "oh, they're kids, leave them alone." In the next 2-3 months, these "kids" will go on to 4 year universities, technical colleges, OUR armed military and some out into the workforce. When do "we" stop GIVING them the excuse that they are kids and start holding them responsible for their actions and choices? When they kill someone? Even when kids do kill somebody, there are still bleeding hearts on here saying society shouldn't be hard on them because they are kids, yadda yadda yadda.
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Besides, I think everyone is missing the bigger picture. These kids were TRESPASSING on school property by being a) on the roof and b) on school grounds after dark. They're damn lucky they weren't charged with that too!

ihavealife, you are missing the point. Would a school district typically build a jungle gym for high school students-No. Why? Because it isn't age appropriate. Spend the money on something more developmentally appropriate that would give the same benefit. Treat them like you would typically developing high school students. They deserve that respect. What do you think the rest of the high school kids think when they see the "special kids" out on their "play ground". It is inappropriate. Treat them like a adults and not children is all I am saying.

How stupid of the school. Its a senior prank and all you that think its the right punishment well I bet you never were the popular kids in school and you all get perfect grades and never did anything wrong, live a little.

ihavealife, I am sorry you think my comment is out of line. I work in special ed. I believe no matter what cognitive level a child is at, they should be treated according to their age. I am sorry if I find it offensive that a special ed. program would feel it was appropriate to have high school age children play on play ground equipment as if they were children. I think the concept is great but spend time and money on something that is a little more age appropriate. Maybe I read more into the comment and it was for elementary age children. That would be totally different.

I thought I was going to read about six old people getting banned. What was I thinking?

Give me a break. Of course, this is the natural result of the police state we have here. There can be no other way to handle it, I suppose, besides getting all the officials involved. Will they have to go to a victim-impact class too?

Some of you are way to conservative. This is funny and they should not be punished at all.

these kids need to be punished but they also need to be punished the same as their peers, if there would of been a freshman, sophmore , or junior on that roof with them would they be banned from their graduation? no, why is it they are so quick to take their graduation ceremony away, but only in the last couple of weeks in school, if this is the punishment then shouldnt that punishment apply all four years of high school ?

I suppose the school has little recourse as to punishment when these kids are effectively leaving the school upon graduation. Still, I would have thought the 3 day suspension, and requesting they pay for the swing set might have been a little bit more appropriate. I'd like to see the punishment more fit the crime -- when you graduate, you're graduating from the total of your time at that school, not just an evening's prank worth of time. If these kids' noses were clean for the sum of the rest of their school lives, the punishment should be different.

SNARLY - If it was a prank that put someone in danger, then I would understand...but why don't you read your post again:

"HMMM responsibility know that is a word these kids do not under stand how can you say o it was just a prank when they are going out in the world and try to get a job with the mantality these kids have"

EXACTLY--they are KIDS. And kids will be kids. I think it's so sad how people are putting so much pressure on kids to grow up so fast. Give me a break! It was a swing set on a roof. GET OVER IT!!!!

The only people on here who are against the kids are people who have no fun in there life. They are just jealous they didnt have the guts to do a senior prank. They are having regrest nw. This punishment is crazy. the police are the ones who wrecked the swingset.

Bellagio: If a kid goes "car surfing," but doesn't get hurt, what happens? The driver and "surfer" are both subject to a citation with demerit points and a forfeiture. We don't revoke the driver's license or send them to prison. Is there the potential of serious harm and/or death? Sure. Can people "What if?" about such an act? You bet.

The punishment is unreasonable given the offense.

In case anyone's interested, the Superintendent's email address is:

matt.gibson@elmbrookschools.org

Wow, that is pretty harsh. Considering it was a fairly harmless and reversible prank, I don't see the necessity of denying them a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. It would be quite different if there were damage such as graffiti; even a TP job would be more serious.
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I suppose you can just barely argue that this was an escalation and they don't want anyone trying to top it next year, but ... I suppose I should admit here that I was involved in a prank of around the same caliber. Someone had a key, though, and again, we did nothing to damage any property -- just to amuse. What seemed to incense the administrators was the fact that we repeated the same and related pranks over a period of months and were never caught. They never suspected we had, uh, approved access to the facility (but were stretching the boundaries a bit). So maybe they did associate it with breaking and entering.
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The point I'm making is that the seriousness seems to be more something psychological here for the administrators than anything substantial.

I'd still be suspended 25 years after the fact for my senior prank if I went to this high school. They punished me, but I was allowed to be in commencements.

Way too harsh.

Over-the-top punishment for an "on-the-top" prank! Suspend? Okay. Ban from graduation? Next they'll be strip searching girls looking for ibuprofen before they even look in their backpack!

Law and order is one thing, but please let the punishment fit the offense. You only graduate from high school once in your LIFETIME. Why take that away because of a harmless prank where no one got hurt and the only damage seems to have been caused by the officer?

they have a clean record.This is so stupid. I hope the whole sits out graduation intil they let them walk in it. Its not like one of the drug stories which are in the paper all the time. They put together a SWINGSET. come on people. They didnt steal, damage, or harm anything. They werent doing drugs or anything like that. You are only a senior once some on. They did one harmless senior prank. Thats why we are the way we are today. Evrybody wants to punish the hell out of everyone. To the other generations. School is a lot different then when you went to school. There is nothing wrong with what they did. Give them a couple detentions at max.

next thing you know these students will want to legalize dope.

I just want to say i am a senior right nw. This was a harmelss act. people need to lighten up a lot. its a swing set on a school. This was a safe harmless prank. Dont anyone of you remember high school. seriouly life is short. Have some fun in it. There is no way they should be banned from Graduation. You only get that chance one time in there life.

It's not what they did, but where they did it.
What they should do now is, get the Mr. Microphone, set it up in a nearby yard and at the end of the regular commencement, have all their classmates gather around, and let them get a diploma that way. They can wait for their names to be called while sitting on a swingset!

except these "kids" are graduating and should be acting more like young adults!

Back in 1979 the kids put an outhouse on top of Delavan Darien School and those kids turned out just fine! Give me a break, its Seniors having harmless fun. No on got hurt, and they didnt damage anything and their school records are clean so leave them alone. There is a difference of just fun and hurting others. NO ONE WAS HURT, NOTHING STOLEN, NO DRUGS, NO DAMAGE, THIS DOESNT MAKE THEM IRRISPONSIBLE. IT JUST MAKES THEM KIDS.

If this is the worst that these kids do, we can be thankful.
I agree with the suspension. They need to learn that doing stupid things can get you into trouble, as harmless as it may seem at the time. If the kids were so smart, they should have thought ahead.

Snarly needs to go back to high school. I hope you learned responsiblity while you attended because you certainly didn't learn how to write English. I think these kids should be punished, but the punishment doesn't fit. By the way, why does a high school special ed. class need a swing set. Doesn't that seem a little inappropriate?

whythink: I agree with you for the future thing they must make a stand so ohters in years don't try to outdo each other prank wise. It seems pretty stiff in light of the shootings and drugs and stuff that go on,but I guess you do the crime you pay the price. but I think the policeman who shoved it off the roof and destroyed it should think about replacing it for the special ed kids though. Maybe the kids who did this could buy another one and put it up where it belongs.

The only thing to remember is the school must becareful because of future behavior.
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If the punishment isn't harsh enough and next years class does something similar and somebody does get hurt...
Can anyone say lawsuit?
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I am not saying I like this but a school district or any business needs to protect itself too. Unfortunately what seems fair can't be done because of the potential of the future. If that makes any sense.

Are you kidding? Suspend them? But yet it's ok for those who deal drugs or fight in school to get a slap on the hand. If kids are not allowed to have good clean fun, they will turn to getting in trouble. Lighten up people.

HMMM responsibility know that is a word these kids do not under stand how can you say o it was just a prank when they are going out in the world and try to get a job with the mantality these kids have WAKE up people if they get away with this crap then what do you think might happen if one of these kids starts to work with you and they pull a prank on you and you get hurt???? OR KILLED because o it was just a prank.

High school pranks are a right of passage when you are a senior. If there was damage or someone got hurt, I could understand. Students know when pulling pranks there is a possibility of punishment but this is ridiculous. The punishment does not fit the crime.

Oh and the police officer that arrested them pushed the jungle gym over the side of the building destroying it in the process.

you're right they should have been at home in the basement shooting up heroin....because that's real life.

leave the kids alone.

I agree with all of you who think this punishment was way too harsh! I feel the same way that nobody was injured nor was there any permanent damage.
I look at these schools nowadays where there are children being killed by children and one night they all are having a good time and really doing no harm and they are punished. This is one time in their life that is important and I think they should be allowed to walk with their classmates. I'm sure glad I wasn't one of those parents. It WAS a innocent prank! One thing these schools lack is laughter!

This was a jungle gym that was to be donated to the special education high school over there. That these students paid for. One of the students is the valedictorian and they are all in the top 5% of there graduating class. The punishment is to harsh but yes they should face some type of discipline.

Oh geez, what a bunch of prudes. I think it's funny. Unless they did something destructive (it sounds like this was CONstructive), then they should pay for the damage, but if all they did was put a swing set on the roof, make them tear it down and then have them do custodial work for a week.

What a creative idea. Punishment way too harsh

They broke the rules, they pay the price.

Come on SNARLY,, You have never done a high school prank... I understand if they did damage, or caused harm... but My god, they just put up a swing set... Whoopie... Hell we let loose about 2000 helium balloons in the cafeteria along with regular filled ones also... I think what they did was more clever...

oh come on....if they take it down can they participate? It's not like they killed someone.

Appealed the suspension the kids should not get there diploma's and have to take 12th grade over and learn some responsibility.

What's next? A sandbox suspension?