Senior prank leaves large mess at Massachusetts high school, school officials call it immature
Both residents and school officials at a Massachusetts high school were left stunned after a senior prank took an unexpected turn from harmless fun to chaos.
Senior prank gone wrong
Around 90 students descended on Hanover High School on Thursday night to complete the prank, according to school officials.
"I know it involved pineapples in classrooms. Somewhere in between, something happened," said Tracy Loughlin, a Hanover resident and former student at the school.
The aftermath of the prank included scattered toilet paper, confetti, plastic wrap, and paper towels littering the ground. Loughlin noted that they were "no big deal" in the grand scheme of things. But rumors began to circulate throughout the town about broken glass in a science lab.
Hanover Public Schools superintendent Matthew Ferron and Hanover High School principal Matthew Mattos clarified that there was no permanent damage to the building and that the most time-consuming part was cleaning up the smashed fruit.
"Windows were not broken, floors were not damaged, and there was no graffiti," the joint statement read. "The damage was largely superficial."
Mattos and Feeron did call the prank "immature, disrespectful, and falling short of the typical creativity or humor typically associated with senior pranks."
The class of 2025 has apologized for the mess and has agreed to pay for any damages, staff overtime, and cleaning services required. The incident is being investigated by the school and Hanover Police, but any disciplinary actions will stay confidential.
"While the actions of those involved were clearly inappropriate, we also recognize that young people make mistakes, and this moment presents an important opportunity for learning, growth, and accountability," Mattos and Ferron said in a statement.
Residents say that diplomas should be withheld
Despite the lack of lasting damage, some residents were less forgiving.
"The kids that were involved should not have been able to walk," resident Mark Fanning said, suggesting the students' diplomas be withheld as punishment.
But some residents were more sympathetic to the students.
"I think people need to relax and give kids a little bit of slack. It's clean fun; they could be doing worse things," Michaela Fin said.
"It's a little town. All the kids are good kids, I don't know how this happened or why it happened," Laughlin said.
