Lee County High School students face punishment after senior prank goes too far

LEE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- It was a senior prank that went too far.

Lee County Schools said students entered a building at Lee County High School overnight on Wednesday and let two rats loose.

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It was part of their senior prank.

But one of the rats bit a maintenance worker.

Students said the pranksters were suspended for a week and won't be able to walk during graduation.

Lee County Schools sent a statement saying in part, "Our principals are authorized under board policy and the code of conduct to employ a broad range of consequences for student behavior, which may include the loss of privileges or opportunities to participate in school events."

If there are seniors considering pranks, Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter said don't do it.

"Why risk being able to graduate with your class over a joke where somebody could get hurt," Sheriff Carter said, adding that sometimes young people don't think about the consequences.

"They want to do something fun and play a joke but it goes too far and people get hurt. And sometimes there are criminal charges, which could happen in this case."

An online petition is circulating, asking the school to allow those who pulled the prank to walk during graduation on June 6. It has more than 2,000 signatures.

Click here for the online petition.