Vandalism gets 12 seniors banned from Moanalua commencement
COURTESY GABE LEAUPEPE
School officials discovered the vandalism this morning, which includes spray-painted “seniors” graffiti on multiple buildings and a driver’s education vehicle.
COURTESY GABE LEAUPEPE
School officials discovered the vandalism this morning, which includes spray-painted “seniors” graffiti on multiple buildings and a driver’s education vehicle.
COURTESY GABE LEAUPEPE
School officials discovered the vandalism this morning, which includes spray-painted “seniors” graffiti on multiple buildings and a driver’s education vehicle.
Twelve Moanalua High School seniors will be banned from taking part in the school’s graduation ceremony on Friday after the campus was vandalized overnight Monday.
The students have been identified as possible suspects in the incident and are under investigation, the state Department of Education said. Police have opened cases of second-degree criminal property damage and a second-degree burglary.
Derek Inoshita, DOE spokesman, said officials discovered the vandalism this morning, which includes spray-painted “seniors” graffiti on multiple buildings and a driver’s education vehicle. Also, vandals apparently ripped a water fountain off a wall and draped toilet paper in trees on the campus.
Officials were investigating whether a classroom was broken in to and if anything had been taken.
“This incident is unfortunate and unacceptable,” said DOE spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz in a statement. “It has had an impact on the entire school community as it prepares to celebrate its upcoming graduation. We commend the school staff for taking immediate action in cleaning up the campus and for appropriate actions against the students.”
A damage estimate was not available.
72 responses to “Vandalism gets 12 seniors banned from Moanalua commencement”
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Great way to start a college education or career.
They’re starting their new careers in corrections as prison inmates…..
Unlikely, for any students under 18. Once released from juvenile their records will be sealed and they’ll get a fresh start.
aren’t students normally over 18 by the time they graduate? Unless they have birthdays january to april.
Not so fast. If these senior are over 18 as the majority of graduating seniors are, their crimes will be a matter of public record. These loser students will not get any letters of recommendation from anyone at the school.
Not to mention if they posted anything on social media, it may have already been downloaded and reposted. Word will get out who did this, it will be all over the net for their future employers to find.
What were they thinking? Clearly they were not. Book’em Danno.
You have no idea what you’re taking about. Juvenile records are available for life.
IRT peanutgallery, you made a bold accusation that I don’t know what I’m talking about so please post your source. Many sources clearly state that they will be sealed in most cases and the criminals can legally state that they never committed a crime unless they are seeking secret clearance or seeking employment at a law enforcement agency. Here’s just one of my sources so now show me yours! http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sealing-juvenile-court-records-32228.html
Shows you the value of a vaunted high school education and diploma – at least for some graduates.
No…this shows the value of poor parenting.
Absolutely. Poor parenting leads to poor behavior.
College education? Think again. Nothing but losers!!!!!!!!
That’s a bit harsh. How about you? Are you perfect? Did you finish college? Are you a kind person?
I take it you would think this is no big deal? It is a big deal because these are people that don’t know right from wrong and will more than likely make bad choices in the future. I have never Vandalized anything because I was taught respect.Of course. I am not perfect, I am judgmental. I would never even litter and I taught my kids the same and to respect others and their possessions.The fact that I have an education does not make me a better person, good parents made me a good caring person.
Not perfect, but certainly would not participated in vandalism.
I would say those who do vandalism are, indeed, LOSERS!!!
Attitude problems and parents lacking skill produce these losers. Sad for them if they don’t learn something from all this mess, then they have no hope except of living in the shadows. Repent and there may be salvation or hope. A few by law of averages will possibly have a bleak future waiting for them.
I might be wrong, but I’m gonna guess that most of these kids weren’t college bound to begin with. Well…maybe community college at best.
Your parents must be so proud. You’ve no one to blame but yourselves. Way to go. Now start cleaning the campus!
A reflection of “family values” perhaps?
Their parents probably are proud because these are “good” kids…
You’re kidding, right? The standard of what is good about someone has really gone down hill.
Oh yes, the parents would all say their kids are good kids who just happened to be hanging around with the wrong kids.
Even when its murder the mom always says “:my son was such a good boy he would never do anything like that” Like Father like son.
You stupid kids. So very unfortunate. I hope you will be required to repair the damage or at least pay to have it repaired.
no diploma …..but police record….a different kine paper….
Unfortunately, you don’t realize that a high school diploma may not be withheld from a student who has earned the requisite credits. Marching in the ceremony may be denied however.
Doesn’t mean it can’t be used to pick up dog poop before it’s awarded though.
Huh?
I agree. Use it as Dog TP.
If I was a parent to any of them, they would have to worry more about me than the school. LOL
Prosecute–no slaps on the wrists.
So they know for sure who vandalized the school?
Must be or the DOE will be slapped with the lawsuit that ends all lawsuits.
The culprits were caught red-handed by surveillance video. As for whether meaningful punishment will be administered, well, the DOE publicly expressed a “zero tolerance” approach to campus crime committed by students. But, as some of these acts are chargeable as Class C felonies, we’ll all have to wait and see if the responsible parties and agencies are willing to push forward and “just do it.”
12 D.mb Menehune’s. Post their pictures, with no names. This may force the idiot’s to leave the islands to continue on with their poor lives.
they should spend however long it takes to make the repairs to the school. hey, we’ve all done stupid stuff. they need to pay for this but they are still ours. as a kupuna, i’d like to give them all licken, too.
Nobody is going to let these idi*ots “make the repairs to the school”. They will just make another mess. Make them and their parents PAY for the repairs. People who have done this kind of damage and just called it “stupid stuff” should never have children because they are just raising future criminals.
The parents and the kids responsible should be required to clean it up.
I wonder if the culprits will also be banned from attending the ceremony even as spectators due to the possibility of them causing a retaliatory disruption during the program.
(If there is a suspension that results from acts committed while still students, they may be prohibited from attending any school function.)
Perhaps a more appropriate punishment is to actually MAKE them attend commencement, however they don’t get to receive their diplomas on stage like their classmates or even wear a cap and gown. Instead they get to do a “walk of shame” as their names are called out as the perps who defaced the campus. They can then pick up their diplomas after all the graffiti is cleaned up.
Don’t think they really care about the commencement.
I guess 12 years of school and they did not learn anything about respect. How sad.
The only thing that kids in public schools seem to learn nowadays is that they will get chance after chance after chance…
Now that is a blanket condemnation of our public school students. Going to a private school does not mean you’re a better person and it does not mean that the parents of private school students are any better than anyone else.
I think it does, students are selected, parents care( they are paying), better crowd. Chances are less that something like this would happen. Does not mean it won’t happen.
Pohaku96744 posits that private school students are as a whole better kids than the public school students. While the basis of his conclusion may make sense, my experience says otherwise. I worked in both public and private schools on Oahu, and the worst language I ever heard came from the mouths of private school students, both on campuses and on city busses. As I told one private school principal, I had never witnessed such rude, disrespectful classroom behavior as I had in her school. Additionally, the academic performance in private schools is not necessarily worth the tuition. In fact, the senior test scores for that school were so low that they were not to be released. In short, many parents who pay private school tuition are wasting their money.
I find that many (not all) private school graduates have a sense of entitlement that I don’t see in public school graduates.
A private school education offers many advantages but it is still largely what the student and parents make of it. You still need to check on schoolwork and demand excellence. If you don’t your just lighting your hard earned cash on fire.
Here we go again, they are possible suspects, so we are going to penalize them now even though the investigation isn’t done. Is this how to teach kids about justice?
I was thinking the same thing. What happened to due process? If there’s a case of mistaken identity, the taxpayers will be footing a big settlement bill.
One gave in and turned all his or her buddies in.
And wasting good toilet paper too !!!! That alone is a felony …..
dlg808, true dat.
This cannot be simply excused as “youthful exuberance” … just plain criminal disrespect for to students and community. What’s going to happen? Is this another “Catch and Release?” There should be charges filed on those of age and if charges can be brought about later as they attain age of 18 then so be it. Enough is enough.
Prosecute to the fullest extent possible. If 18 and above, go jail and a pay a fine. If under 18, go hard after the parents and make them pay dearly. No excuses. Classic case of “laugh now cry later”.
“Vandalism gets 12 seniors banned from Moanalua commencement”. Banned from commencement, or from being able to graduate? There’s a HUGE difference. I would be HAPPY not to have to endure the long and boring commencement ceremony. All I would want is my diploma. That’s all that matters. If any of these students are found responsible for what happened, they should be denied their diplomas and have to re-do their senior year – and be required to clean the campus weekly and patrol for vandals and graffiti idiots.
“Vandalism gets 12 seniors banned from Moanalua commencement”. Banned from commencement, or from being able to graduate? There’s a HUGE difference. I would be HAPPY not to have to endure the long and boring commencement ceremony. All I would want is my diploma. That’s all that matters. If any of these students are found responsible for what happened, they should be denied their diplomas and have to re-do their senior year – and be required to clean the campus weekly and patrol for vandals
commencement. old people still view being able to walk as a reward. these kids no care.
That’s cause these kids don’t care about anything but doing what they want. Selfish with n respect.!
Now boys, even 45 years ago we had the smarts to wait until the wee hours AFTER graduation to burn a peace sign in the grass in front of the admin building. Take the walk BEFORE making mamagoto!
school spirit…personal pride…failures
In addition to not participating in their graduation ceremony, these students will likely not join their classmates for reunions because they will–or should–be ostracized by their more responsible classmates.
I hope DOE make the parents pay for the damages ,,, if they don’t …it’s going to come out of the tax-payer pockets ..
these kids lack “RESPECT “
at least they can spell
They should charged, indicted, and then caned … AFTER they’re made to clean up the entire school.
This provides proof, that a high school education does not necessarily prepare you for the real world. Be smart, get smarter, and always be aware of your surrounding. Get attention to yourself by doing good,not by vandalism and not observing surveillance cameras. So pitiful!
I’d say if they’re adult disclose their names. If not, disclose their parents’. Shame factor matters.
Everyone has an opinion.
Good luck landing a job kids! That’s the difference between Winners and Losers!
I don’t condone what these kids did and if they are guilty they should be charged. However The Star Advertiser in there article say that (The students have been identified as possible suspects in the incident and are under investigation, the State Department of Education said). Being said POSSIBLE SUSPECTS how can they ban them from commencement?
If I was a parent of one of these kids, I would be pissed at these thugs. Hope no repercussions that the thugs are not positively identified yet…otherwise here comes the lawsuits from the parents that their poor baby wasn’t allowed to walk at the school’s commencement.
Hope the ones that are college bound find out that the University no longer deems them desirable.
How about withholding graduation. No degree. No higher Ed. Let them get GEDs.