East Rockaway High School – East Rockaway, NY – Jun 21, 2011 (credit: Mike Xirinachs / WCBS 880)
Reporting Mike Xirinachs
EAST ROCKAWAY, NY (CBSNewYork) – Some Long Island high school students are paying a hefty price for their end-of-year hijinks.
The school principal, assistant principal and a crossing guard were among those hit by water balloons during the annual water balloon battle outside East Rockaway High School.
Now, a group of seniors who participated have been banned from this week’s graduation ceremony and the prom. Some parents think the punishment is extreme.
“Gone through four years of high school and then they made one mistake. I mean I think it’s a little bit too far. I mean, these kids, they were having fun,” one father said.
WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs In Nassau County
“Kids are kids. You know, to ban them from graduation, I think is ridiculous,” another father said.
Both believe community service would be a more appropriate punishment.
Melissa Erul was one of a group of seniors who won’t attend graduation.
“I’m just so upset. None of my family’s gonna be able to see me,” Erul told CBS 2′s Scott Rapoport.
“I didn’t even throw a water balloon and I’m being penalized,” Mike Castellano said.
1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera reports: Water Balloon Fight Gets Out Of Hand
Anthony Gallegro said he is one of 20 seniors paying for the actions of two students — one who doesn’t attend the school — because they threw balloons at the administration officials.
“Because of two bad seeds in the bunch we’re all going down for it,” Gallegro told 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera.
“They’re acting like it was so much worse than it was,” Billy Day added.
To make matters worse, the banned balloon brawlers said they’ve also been barred from their prom. The students’ parents are livid.
“To take them out of graduation I think is horrible,” Lori De Stefani said.
The school superintendent said the students were warned ahead of time of the penalties and chose to have the water balloon fight anyway. Dr. Rosanne C. Melucci said in a statement: “The actions of these students created a disorderly and unsafe situation by obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic.”
But for the banned students that rings hollow.
“I can’t go to the prom or graduate. I think that’s a little extreme,” Ryan Starkman said.
Many of the kids Rapoport spoke with said the balloon fight is an annual thing that’s gone on for years — and that they’ve never been penalized for it.
Do you think these students went too far or is the administration totally overreacting? Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.
124 Comments
The real problem is this president obama, is higherin the price on gasoline!!!
June 22, 2011 at 2:27 pm
GET ‘EM TAT!
June 22, 2011 at 2:13 pm
“The smallest school district in Nassau County, producing the biggest losers.”
June 22, 2011 at 1:28 pm
No, that’s a parent who is teaching their child to be responsible for their actions. Obviously, there aren’t many like that in ER
June 22, 2011 at 10:45 am
Let’s follow-up on the suspended students for 5 years, and see their loser lives.
June 22, 2011 at 10:34 am
Who cares, a high school diploma means nothing. No jobs out there for our kids. Corporations gave them all to foreign countries. Water balloons, the administration are a bunch of sissys.
June 22, 2011 at 9:35 am
bunch of white trash from east rockaway,bunch of waanbee ghetto kids acting very stupid,just cause the word rockaway in there name they think they tough,come to red fern or edgemere in far rockaway and lets see how tough you are
June 22, 2011 at 6:56 am
Are you serious? noone is interested in coming to your disgusting neighborhood. Noone is interested in trying to be tough here either. Just a prank in a normal middle class neighborhood with normal kids. Judge them as you want but you live in the worst ghetto around and would never understand what it’s like on the nicer side of the tracks because in your mind, fighting and showing who’s tough is the way to earn respect. WRONG! earn my respect by pulling up your pants, straightening out your hat, staying off drugs, leaving your “nine” at home and getting an education, paying taxes and working for a living. a REAL JOB. Be a man not a weasel. Oh and dont have kids unless you plan on being there for them. Thank you.
June 22, 2011 at 2:39 pm
If the kids were warned ahead of time about the penalties, they are not to be given slack. They targeted the school’s top leadership which is very disrespectful and thumbs theirs noses at authority.
Kids today are very disrespectful toward authority and need to be reined in.
The punishment may be tweeked a bit, but not much.
June 22, 2011 at 6:51 am
Clearly you were not listening to any of the stories that were reported. The water balloon fight occured off school property and the Assistant principal was hit by a boy who does NOT attend the school. Sounds like the punishment is being made due to his pride more then anything reasonable.
June 22, 2011 at 8:55 am
“Authority” What is an “authority?” I am an ADULT who bows to no one who calls him/herself and “authority.” An “authority” is just another person, nothing more. I’ll be disrespectful to anyone, authority or no authority. No one will “rein” me in. The rest of the population can go bow to “authority;” but I’ll NEVER be reined in or seen bowing to “authority.”
June 22, 2011 at 10:27 am
that explains a lot
June 22, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I agree with your reply and I think the punishment does NOT fit the crime. I also wonder if the “warning” included that the punishment would be so severe.
June 22, 2011 at 12:06 pm
I go to school there, and the news announcements said those punishments would be severe, even including suspension and expulsion. Still, they are very severe.
July 13, 2011 at 9:53 pm
They’re water balloons.
July 29, 2011 at 10:08 am
First of all, I’d like to clarify that it was the class of 2008 who painted the marijuana plant on the tower. Second of all, I am almost ashamed to say I graduated from this school. I have known most/alot of these kids since they were little, and most of them have absolutely no respect for anyone whatsoever. When your grade can’t find any faculty member to sign on to be their class advisor, I would say that’s a problem. Also, the ironic part of this is that all these kids who are quoted in this article are and have always been part of the problem. For years, these kids have caused problems both in and out of school. Personally I think this punishment is LONG overdue. I’d also love to point out how much BS these kids and their parents are feeding to the media. ANNUAL? Really? I don’t think so. Not one of these kids deserves to be felt sorry for. As for the girl who performed oral sex at the senior banquet, she does deserve to be included in this. Clearly, she doesn’t care much about herself anyway. Disgusting. Oh poor you! 4 years of torture? Torture to the faculty seems more like it. Personally, I don’t think anyone should feel bad for these a-holes. You were warned, PERIOD – you did not care. But you all had alot to open your mouths about when the money to pay to fix the tower was taken from each grades account. I guess what goes around really does come around in the end. Congrats to the kids who weren’t morons & chose not to put their senior rights on the line. Some of them have actually worked hard to show they aren’t like the rest of the idiots in their grade. I really hope they dont decide to let these a-holes walk at graduation & attend prom. They dont deserve it.
June 22, 2011 at 12:26 am
Hey, it was ’09 who painted the bell tower and one kid from your class. Nobody liked ’08, you guys were feminine and thought you could sing. You know absolutely nothing about anything in this school since you graduated.
June 22, 2011 at 1:46 am
STFU you are just mad that your grade was to pssy to do anything as a senior prank! and yeah I was 09 so suck on that.
June 22, 2011 at 11:31 am
When I was a school principal, years ago, I learned that my students had planned a hugh water balloon fight on the last day of school. Similar to this one.
I contacted the local fire department and had them pick me up on a fire truck. I rode in and sprayed everyone down with water including the teachers.
We all laughed so hard and sat on the front lawn of the school. The students, teachers, and adminstrators learned more that day, than any other day of school.
I say, let the students walk and dance their way in to the future. What is it gonna hurt?
“It is what it is”, a water balloon fight. Would you rather have that or a gang fight?
June 22, 2011 at 12:20 am
Ray, you’re awesome! And I’m not a kid, 54 yrs old. That is something none of them will ever forget and a wonderful story to tell their kids and friends for years to come.
June 22, 2011 at 12:12 pm
nonsense!! east rockaway high loves suspending kids from graduation… my son got suspended from graduation 2 years ago, for the heinous act of letting crickets loose in the hallway!! crickets !!! that is right crickets!!! amazing !!! what a crime !!!
June 22, 2011 at 12:15 am
WE LOVE YOU KENNY ROBINSON
June 22, 2011 at 1:48 am
Why should there be any negative consequences for anything? Just let them do whatever they want.
June 22, 2011 at 3:44 am
I dont know about anyone else, but I received the several mailings warning against this. Poor babies cant walk for graduation. This grade has been a source of trouble for East Rockaway the whole time they were growing up. How do I know this? My child is in that grade!
When a grade is so bad that none of the teachers even want to be class advisors, is a sad comentary.
Its bad enough what went on at Senior banquet, but now the parents are defending the bad behavior of there children. Thats just sad. They were warned, they chose to do it, now live with it.
The parents should be even more ashamed then the kids for getting on TV trying to defend them. Yeah, keep making excuses for them and later wonder why they’ve grown up so bad.
Time to grow up boys and girls!!
June 21, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Who wants to do Rock Rivalry in general?! I probably porked your daughter or bullied your son, anyway, you ‘ERHS parent’.
June 22, 2011 at 1:50 am
some parent you are, you wont even stand behind your child.
pathetic
June 22, 2011 at 8:58 am
No, that’s a parent who is teaching their child to be responsible for their actions. Obviously, there aren’t many like that in ER
June 22, 2011 at 10:58 am
It was a water balloon fight. Not an all out brawl. Since when does a little water cause any harm?
You should be ashamed that you took the time to get on this website and complain like the old bag you are.
The are Children, like you said, and kids do things like this. PLUS it wasn’t even on school grounds.
To not let them graduate is extreme beyond belief. Now this school just looks worse it ever has. Let me just say if I saw something like this on the news and how harsh they are being, I would NEVER want my children to go there.
God forbid they have a little fun.
June 22, 2011 at 11:26 am
These kids havent been children for a few years now; drugs, sex tapes, arrests, and gang fights are not a little fun.
And btw just bc they werent on school grounds doesnt mean they werent hitting kids who were on school grounds
June 22, 2011 at 12:49 pm
we wouldnt really want your kids. obviously you are not teaching them to be respectful or obey school rules.
June 22, 2011 at 1:14 pm
I have reason to believe that the only fair punishment is to simply be-head the students and their ungrateful son of a betch followers. If I was the totalitarian leader of this school, I would have preformed great harmful actions to their souls. I would become ruler of their lives. They would obey my every command. Brosef Stalin himself could not stop me in my time of greatness. Communist Manifesto. Thats all this is.
June 21, 2011 at 10:35 pm
They were throwing rocks and bottles and shouting klingon phrases too. Stone them all.
June 21, 2011 at 10:26 pm
lol, yup. That’s what happened
June 22, 2011 at 1:47 am
Really friends and neighbors????? I guess we’ll never be able to prove to you how harmless a WATER BALLOON FIGHT on the last day of school is….oh, wait…unless it happens to be one of YOUR kids who gets into trouble for it.
June 21, 2011 at 9:12 pm
There’s real crime going on in our local neighborhoods more & more: look how long the crime watch column in the Herald is growing. These wern’t gunshots flying across the street, people; they were water balloons. Put things in perspective.
June 21, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Gunshots = Water Balloons, nowadays. Get with it..
June 22, 2011 at 1:38 am
1978 THANK YOU for finally speaking some truth….now if only the principal would listen…(the principal who doesnt want to speak with any news station…shocker! guess she cant think on her toes because they are skewing the story and has to have a pre written statement)
June 22, 2011 at 9:00 am
the principal is a man
June 22, 2011 at 10:15 am
THESE KIDS ARE TERRORISTS AND SHOULD BE SENT TO GITMO AND SHOWN HOW THE US GOVERNMENT USES WATER. ALL KIDS ARE POTENTIALLY EVIL AND COULD CONSIDER JOINING AL QAEDA. LONG PRISON TERMS IN A SUPERMAX FACILITY ARE THE ONLY THING THESE LITTLE BUGGERS ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND. I SAY OFF WITH THEIR HEADS. WE NEED TO LIVE IN A STRICTLY ORDERED SOCIETY. END OF STORY.
June 21, 2011 at 7:32 pm
ease up mitch
June 21, 2011 at 9:35 pm
bunch of savages in this town
June 21, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Every adult on this page has way to much free time, swag on ’11, swag on.
June 21, 2011 at 7:05 pm
class of 1954
never did i see a prank like this at our beloved high school. if one person started a fire. the whole class has to suffer. according to the pictures on the news they were on school grounds filling out into the streets causing trouble with traffic. as always parents go up there and say”not my child” how dare you deface the name of east rockaway high school.
June 21, 2011 at 6:55 pm
shutup ya old hag
June 21, 2011 at 7:12 pm
clearly you cant see. if you look at the video, it is of the students getting out of school not in a water ballon fight. In the far distance…across the street…off school property, there you will see one, let me repeat ONE balloon being throw.
Get your facts straight people!
and please its east rockaway not a highly ranked school, deface the name haha you need to get ALL your facts straight
June 22, 2011 at 9:04 am
Swag Master is a Herb.
June 21, 2011 at 6:50 pm
swag
June 21, 2011 at 6:51 pm
This is a crackdown on the students the man was screaming you kids think your so tough thats the way to diffuse this situation….real adult they egged the kids on to hit them then were shocked they did it and please show me the prove of the urine as protest DDosing all east rockaway websites sounds good to me
fire up ypur lazers
June 21, 2011 at 6:42 pm
The school could not overcome the immense amount of swag that has been carried and portrayed from the class of 2011 over the years.
June 21, 2011 at 6:36 pm
A similar situation is going on at another school where one student’s privilege to walk on graduation day is being taken away because of the abusive powers of the administration overreacting and not taking evidence and basic common sense into consideration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dIvgbbkMmE&feature=player_embedded
Also the administration is currently threatening all students with a suspension from the Board of Education and not allowing seniors to walk at graduation because they are “attending” a facebook group that supports the student who was banned from graduation.
June 21, 2011 at 6:26 pm
The “fight” was 100 ft. away from the school. Administration went out of their jurisdiction to dismiss such “malicious” behavior and simply got embarrassed. Disciplinary actions were not given out because of the alleged disruption of traffic or the lack of safety for the students; but because administration was embarrassed after trying to save the day. What we did was in no way appropriate. But – considering our punishment, we should have all aimed our throws at administration to make it all worthwhile. For six years we have been facing unjust, gawky, and ungainly use of power in a jest of a school. This is ONE story..
June 21, 2011 at 6:19 pm
For six years we have been facing unjust, gawky, and ungainly use of power in a jest of a school. This is ONE story.
Are you serious with this? I s your mind truly that diluted to what is really going on?
In the four years these kids have been in ERHS the school hasnt cracked down nearly as hard as it should have.
Finally after four year of getting away with murder you guys are crying about finally being punished.
June 21, 2011 at 6:24 pm
^^(Said the kid who got smacked in the head with a water balloon in front of his “friends”. lol) I’m not going to arguing about this, but who are you to tell me what I have gotten away with?! You don’t know any of our stories, disciplinary records or personal relationships with anyone in this school.
June 21, 2011 at 6:31 pm
^^^give me a name and ill tell you everything
June 21, 2011 at 6:34 pm
^^^^AAAAND there’s the problem with ER. Too many people are willing to publicize what they THINK they know about people. Just stop..
June 21, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Six years for Hike school yore very dum.
June 21, 2011 at 8:07 pm
actually no because our school is middle and high school.
June 23, 2011 at 12:09 pm
I guess you forgot about how you trashed the restaurant where you had your senior banquet, and left out how some of the balloons were filled with urine, if your little brother or sister got hit by a car would that be ok>
June 21, 2011 at 9:25 pm
They were not filled with urine. The restaurant was not trashed. lol relax
June 22, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Finally people know how dumb and irrational the east rockaway high school administration is.
June 21, 2011 at 6:06 pm
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAHHH!!!!
June 21, 2011 at 5:56 pm
I’d like to let everyone know that this is definitely not the first mistake this class has made. The week before school was over they had a Senior Dinner Party (“Banquet”) and the students destroyed it. They took their senior cake and threw it all over the room. The floor was covered in cake from their cake fight. Also, another girl was caught by the assistant principal giving all the guys blow-jobs outside of the place. And over half their grade was completely wasted and throwing up in the bathroom. After the disaster they had in front of all the teachers that attented, they had no business with this water balloon prank. They are embarrassing the school and the town.
June 21, 2011 at 5:53 pm
^Half of that is not true. Just shows how useless and misleading comments can be..
June 21, 2011 at 6:10 pm
^actually its all true. just shows how useless and misleading comments can be..
June 21, 2011 at 6:19 pm
ONE girl threw up. ONE girl gave oral sex. and THREE people threw cake. Go win Rock Rivalry or work on your horrible spelling/grammar and stop refreshing this page about a prank that 2011 did, LOSER!
June 21, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Agreed. Clearly nobody know’s what truly goes on with our grade,and if you think its so offensive then why is the one girl who WAS throwing up from being drunk at banquet and the ONE girl who was giving blow-jobs allowed to walk at graduation but people who harmlessly were throwing water balloon’s can not. Obviously the administration was EMBARRASSED after Detomasso was trying to act like a tough guy and dropped his OWN phone in water, he should’ve just let it go and stop trying to save the day. Case Closed all the parents and monitors who disagree are stupid and unreasonable you have all done something in your day, get over yourselves.
June 21, 2011 at 8:46 pm
cim you mean to tell me you wernt a high school student once who was into working on his car tuning it and such and spinning his tires for his friends. or even doing something as harmless as having a water fight? do me a favor get a life and stop making our grade out to be such savages were teenagers were supposed to be mildly wreckless so if a measly water ballon fight causing a decent amount of ublic attention is the only thing that enables you to have the guts to finally speak up so u can get attention, then at least do it like a mature adult especially if your going to talk down at us like one
June 21, 2011 at 4:43 pm
hahahaha this comment is excellent.
June 21, 2011 at 8:59 pm
These are probably the same kids who played Little League and had no respect for anyone when they were nine or ten and the parents thought that was just fine. They deserve to not graduate. It’s about time the schools did their job disciplining the kids since the parents won’t. These kids should be held accountable for their actions. They knew what the consequences would be.
June 21, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Really? It;s not like they destroyed property or hurt someone. EVERY high school does this. I graduated in ’04 and our prank was unleashing little bouncy balls in the hallways, and it was good clean fun! Let them attend!!!!!!
June 21, 2011 at 5:16 pm
um you did NOT graduate ERHS in 2004. I know that class very well..no Danielles in it.
June 22, 2011 at 10:19 am
You must be an East Rockaway parent with that response. They were warned what the consequences would be, so now they have to deal with it. Maybe if more parents taught their children that there will be consequences to their actions, our society would be a better one.
June 22, 2011 at 11:02 am
Go Back to Jersey
June 22, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Decision was affirmed by the Board of Education. They got what they deserved. Too bad.
June 22, 2011 at 4:01 pm
First of all these kids are far from innocent. I believe one father stated that throughout these kids four years of school they have made only one mistake. Well that is far from the truth. A few of the kids that were banned have been suspended and kicked out of class more times than one can even count. Some have had numerous run ins with the law even to the extent of being arrested. One of the banned students was kicked out of school for 5 months for dealing drugs. Also aside from the behavior of these kids, this water balloon is by no stretch “Annual”. The teachers at East Rockaway High School are probably on their last nerve, with these students and their entire grade, they have terrorized this town long enough with their destructive nature and drug related antics. Its a shame really maybe if the teachers and parents had stepped in long ago the kids wouldn’t have turned out like they did.
June 21, 2011 at 3:38 pm
and that has nothing to do with why they’re not walking in graduation.
June 21, 2011 at 5:17 pm
i think his point was that these students have been getting away with murder for years.
Since you graduated in 04 you have no clue how bad things have gotten at the school and if you were there and saw the scene you wouldnt be saying that.
If you have not been to the school recently or currently live in the town you have absolutely no clue, and if you really do believe these kids are innocent and deserve to walk then you are just as delusional as the parents of the students.
June 21, 2011 at 5:49 pm
I’m student at erhs, a senior at that. I witnessed the entire balloon fight, and for the most part, it was absolutely harmless, the kids were 6 or 7 houses away from the main road, and yes, kids that weren’t a part of the balloon fight were hit with balloons, but it was all for fun, I was hit as well and I can assure alll of you that my friends did not fill those balloons with anything but water. Most of the students did not attempt to hit the assistant principal although his taunting was way out of line.. when a grown man is going “You think you’re all so tough, eh?” to a bunch of 17 and 18 year old boys, that makes for a very bad situation, and of the 2 kids who hit the principal and assistant principal, one never even was a student at erhs, and the other one isn’t even graduating with us. They went too far with this punishment, although I am not punished for this ridiculousness, it hurts me that I can’t graduate with some of my best friends over a water balloon fight when there are people who were caught drinking at the senior banquet and can still walk at graduation.
June 21, 2011 at 1:52 pm
So the old what we did is not as bad as what they did defense has been used. Anyone who takes part in an organized event and throws water ballons at figures of authority should be banned from any school events. The Assistant Principal yelled at us, Waaah, Waaah. We got punished for our actions, Waaah Waaah. One kid wasn’t even from our school, but everyone else was, Waaah Waaah. Grow up ERHS Senior, College starts soon and Mommy and Daddy won’t be there to wipe your runny nose and wipe away your tears. Crybaby.
June 21, 2011 at 3:34 pm
Wow you’re really mature “stop whining”. Your sarcastic and unnecessary input was really insightful, let me tell you. Stop putting your two cents into something you probably had no part of and have nothing to do with. This is my grade’s graduation, something that I take seriously. This is my grade whom I love and have spent years and years getting to know. You know nothing of what’s going on, and if you did you’d have a less irrational and ridiculous comeback for my statements. I should grow up? Please read your response and then come back to chat, thanks.
June 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm
When I graduated from high school, 20 students would have been about a quarter of our class. We were all friends and a very close community. If our principal had tried to hand out such a ridiculous punishment (not that he would have, he probably would have joined in) for something as harmless as a water balloon fight, we probably would not have had a graduation because we would not have left our friends behind.
June 21, 2011 at 3:35 pm
jojo and all of these people who have the time to comment on a silly little thing that got blown way out of proportion should take the time to get their facts straight before they start stating their opinions on things that they arent invovled in. Maybe its you who has to learn? ever think about that? no didnt think so. shut up and mind your own business
June 21, 2011 at 1:47 pm
IN 2009 THEY PAINTED A HUGE MARIJUANA LEAF ON THE BELL TOWER! GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? NOTHING. IN 2011 SOME KIDS THREW SOME HARMLESS BALLOONS FILLED WITH WATER. GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? 20 KIDS CAN’T WALK AT THEIR GRADUATION.
I SEE A PROBLEM HERE, EAST ROCKAWAY HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS TO GET THEIR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT.
i like typing in caps its fun =]
June 21, 2011 at 1:17 pm
A. the kids in 2009 didnt get caught hence why they took money out of each grade to pay for the damages
B Each of the kids who got caught in 2011 with the water balloons all have terrible records, the water balloons were the last straw
C I agree East Rockaway does need to get their priorities straight, they should have laid down the law years ago and mb things wouldnt have turned out as bad as they did
June 21, 2011 at 3:48 pm
the punishment does sound extreme, however, the kids were warned already so they have to learn take resposibility for their actions! its better they learn that now then after they garduate high school! id on’t eveen think this article should be mentioned you just giving the studenst a reason to get attention!
June 21, 2011 at 1:06 pm
uhhhh… lololol .. well you used NEW when you should have used KNEW….so i think you need to maybe, go BACK to school…..umm..and we should see a shrink? i dont understand where you are coming from. its a water balloon fight. a few years back, kids PAINTED THE TOWER ON THE TOP OF THE SCHOOL AND PUT A MARIJUANA LEAF. a water balloon fight isn’t vicious or dangerous at all . the school can do something else rather than taking them away from walking on graduation day. dr. melucci was simply embarrassed that she got hit with a water balloon . GROW UP LADY!
June 21, 2011 at 12:50 pm
@GCof 2009, your comment makes you sound like a jacka$$. Throwing urine filled balloons at adults is not vicious or dangerous? Would you really want to be exposed to someone elses bodily fluids. As far as I am concerned these children should be banned from greaduation. They were warned did it anyway and now its time to pay the piper. I just hope the school district does not back down to the fools that think its just a silly prank.
June 21, 2011 at 1:07 pm
just to inform you, those water balloons weren’t filled with urine. so before you start making comments you should get your facts straight.
June 21, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Sadly enough Detomaso and the other higher ups have been backing down on punishments and have been way to lenient for way to long. if they had stepped in years ago and put a stop to the children and their bad behavior then things like this would never happen. i went erhs and deto always seemed to let the bad kids slide and the good kids suffer
June 21, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Water Balloons fights generally aren’t viscious or dangerous. Unfortunately, this one was. Putting soap in the balloons gets a “lol”? You might want to consider how that speaks to your intent. Dr. Melucci wasn’t hit – other people were. What about the kids that were running away into traffic? What about the cursing and taunting that was delivered with the balloon? What about the majority of kids with no water balloons? Aren’t fun water balloon fight usually between willing players? Yeah, water balloons are great – unless you fill them with something besides water and launch them across the busiest road in town while a couple of hundred kids (some as young as 12) are being dismissed.
June 21, 2011 at 1:12 pm
I wish i hit that little weasel of a woman
June 21, 2011 at 1:18 pm
That was 2008 and that was my class. Nothing was done about it because they couldn’t find out who did it. Seriously though, this punishment for the 2011 class is extremely harsh. There shouldn’t even be consequences anyway because it’s a harmless water balloon fight. ERHS should make it a tradition rather than try to stop it every year. Let the kids have some fun to celebrate their graduation! How dare they take their graduation ceremony away from them. Let their parents punish them if they feel it’s necessary.
June 21, 2011 at 2:14 pm
These kids are so bad they shouldve had way more than graduation taken away from them a long time agpo
June 21, 2011 at 3:55 pm
These kids are so bad they shouldve had way more than graduation taken away from them a long time ago
June 21, 2011 at 3:55 pm
It’s real simple. They were warned NOT to have the water balloon fight, and they did it any way. Now you must pay the price. Excuses, excuses, excuses – yea, yea, yea, we know….kids from another school did it, I don’t know who they were, I’ve never seen them before. This is the problem with America, nobody is responsible for their actions. A simple comment of “how dare you accuse me of such a thing”, and it vanishes with the wind. I bet attorneys have been called already on the students behalf. The administrators that we struck with urine filled water balloons will ironically lose this one in the end. God Bless America.
June 21, 2011 at 12:49 pm
The water balloons were filled up at my house. They were NOT filled with NAIR OR URINE. SOME were filled with soap, lol. It was pretty awesome..
June 21, 2011 at 12:46 pm
They were warned. So if anybody has a problem with the schools reaction they need to see a shrink. The kids new what would happen and so they felt it was worth it. Graduations are boring. They would have had a lot more fun with the ballon’s. Good choice kids.
June 21, 2011 at 12:36 pm
You definitely didn’t graduate from High School since you can’t even spell and don’t know the difference between plurals and possessives. If my children were involved in something like this, I would have punished them myself.
June 21, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Actually I can spell and do know basic grammar usage. I think McGill University, of which I am a graduate, may agree. Just happens though, I am not perfect and prone to mistakes like most anyone else of which, you are an exception – of course. But I deserved your reply. It was a idiot comment. I stand corrected. Thank you.
June 21, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Assult for a water balloon? You people need to lighten up. Oh I got hit with a water balloon, OMG!!! its a very serious crime!!!! Arent kids allowed to have some fun anymore?
June 21, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@SOK, I hope you get hit with a water, urine or nair filled balloon when you are in an expenive suit on your way to an interview. I don’t think that you would think that is fun. Yes kids are allowed to have fun when and where it is appropriate. You are the reason why the youth of today are so disrespectful
June 21, 2011 at 12:58 pm
I agree 100% with you!
June 21, 2011 at 1:10 pm
There is no such thing as a bad student…..only bad teachers!
June 21, 2011 at 12:08 pm
*There are no such things as bad kids just bad parents.
June 22, 2011 at 12:20 am
WHERE THE BALLONS REALLY FILLED WITH NAIR AND URINE???
June 21, 2011 at 11:48 am
These animals don’t belong in society, they belong in jungle. Ship them off to an isolated island for a week and see how they would like to throw water baloons at each other then?
June 21, 2011 at 11:34 am
uhh what? some of the people commenting on this thing really need to learn how to write correctly …. these animals that had a WATER BALLOON FIGHT FOR A SENIOR PRANK?!?!?! YOUR LUCKY THAT THEY DIDNT DO SOMETHING WORSE. each year that school is tightening up their rules more and more to make the kids rebel. after going through that school for 6 years, having a water balloon fight should not take away their ability to walk .
June 21, 2011 at 12:57 pm
YOU’RE!!!!!
June 21, 2011 at 7:13 pm
ps if the school doesn’t follow up on the consequences it metes out, how will kids ever know they are serious? this could have caused someone to get hit by a car or be blinded. ps mr cbs reporter: maybe this isnt a first offense
June 21, 2011 at 11:32 am
but you know they nearly caused a traffic accident and the crossing guard was hit with a water balloon allegedly filled with Nair and Urine.
They kids knew the consequences up front. Why do parents ALWAYS think their kids can do know wrong. THose kids wind up in jail or the army. trust me, i know
June 21, 2011 at 11:30 am
I just found out – i am in shock!
June 21, 2011 at 11:31 am
I retract my previous comment after I just found out that the water balloons were filled with urine & nair!!! URINE & NAIR!!!! Not only do they not deserve to graduate BUT THERE SHOULD BE CRIMINAL CHARGES!! Wow! I am in shock!
June 21, 2011 at 11:30 am
Right…it’s going to have a profound effect on them. They are leaving the school for good in two days. Leave them alone…
June 21, 2011 at 11:20 am
This is seriously pathetic….they are leaving the school so there is nothing left to take away from them except the grad ceremony. This punishment is way too extreme for water balloons! They are kids having fun to celebrate the culmination of 4 years of hard work. Give them community service and don’t ruin a right of passage for them AND their families!
June 21, 2011 at 11:20 am
How else will the learn???? Those students are lucky no one is pressing charges for assult.
June 21, 2011 at 10:49 am
they were warned and now have to suffer the consequences, that’s what they get.
June 21, 2011 at 9:58 am