Accomplice in a senior prank

[Anonymous]

OK, so here's the story:

My niece is a rising junior. At the end of last year, she helped a senior friend carry out "his" prank - he put laxatives in brownies and put them in the teacher's lounge. Well eventually someone found out it was his brownies causing ahem....issues...among all the teachers who ate them, and he wasn't allowed to walk at graduation - he was graduating within the next few days anyway so they couldn't do much as far as punishments. My niece, on the other hand, was found to be the "accomplice" and will face a five day suspension at the start of this school year, was kicked out of NHS, being a freshman mentor, her president role of a club, and a few other things.

Is this appropriate punishment, do you think? I just found out about it tonight when my sister called me (for other reasons, but somehow the topic came up) and it seems a little excessive, but maybe I'm off base.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they put a drug in brownies... that is not a senior prank that is ok.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that extreme shitting can lead to dehydration which is a serious thing. However. They should have picked ONE punishment for your niece and not Everything They Could Think Of.

Personally I think they should have picked something that more fit the crime but that's neither here nor there.

[Anonymous]

They drugged people without their consent. Those people got sick.

Laxatives could have caused significant health issues or drug interactions with the teachers.

Absolutely she should be severely punished.

[Anonymous]

That was a pretty poor judgment call by a student leader. Pranks that target people are especially dangerous. It's a strong punishment but in these days when things are often the slap on the wrist, I find it promising that a school is coming down hard.

[Anonymous]

I think it's appropriate. I would guess they meant no harm but laxatives are a drug that can be harmful depending on the person. A student who is in NHS and the president of a club should know better.

[Anonymous]

I think her punishment is appropriate. I'm surprised they didn't pursue criminal charges against the graduating kid, frankly.

That goes way beyond senior prank.

[Anonymous]

I've heard of criminal charges in cases like this. I think she got off lightly.

[Anonymous]

OP, what do YOU think would have been the right punishment?

Has she apologized to the teachers? I know as teens it can be hard to see teachers as actual people, but giving someone laxatives is not a light matter. If someone in your office did that to you, how mad would you be?!

[Anonymous]

I think it's appropriate. Drugging people is not a "prank".

[Anonymous]

Your niece is very lucky (1) nobody became seriously ill, and (2) the school didn't press criminal charges.

It's surprising that you consider her punishment excessive. Hopefully, her mother doesn't, and is working to get your niece the help she needs to learn good and constructive lessons from what she did.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a crime to me.

[Anonymous]

What a mean spirited, short sighted little monster of a niece! Criminal charges should have been filed. It's not okay to drug people. The point of this prank is to cause physical discomfort and humiliation to her teachers, but it could have also cause a serious health problem if someone had a bad reaction to the medication. Shame on you for thinking that the punishment was excessive.

[Anonymous]

I think it's appropriate. What they did could have been very dangerous to someone with, for instance, a heart condition. Hopefully she appreciates the severity of what she did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's appropriate. Drugging people is not a "prank".

+1
OP, why don't you ask a friend or family member to slip some laxatives in your food but make sure they don't tell you when they do it. After you've gone through that, come back and share whether you thought the punishment was excessive.