Suspensions include the possible exclusion from senior activities including graduation exercises.
WESTFIELD – A theatrical performance out of Star Wars and Vaseline on door knobs will not keep four seniors at Westfield High School from graduation exercises Friday.
As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, Principal Raymond K. Broderick lifted 10-day suspensions for four seniors, responsible for “bad choice” incidents that occurred on the Montgomery Road campus last week.
“The main issue is always the safety and well-being of our 1,600 students at Westfield High,” Broderick said Tuesday.
The actions of the students, because of the suspensions, could have kept them from participating in the graduation ceremony scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.
“Suspensions carry the potential of exclusion from senior activities, including graduation night,” the principal said.
“These incidents may have been poor choices on their part but, I am comfortable that they will all go forward and succeed and have learned from this,” Broderick said.
Broderick announced his decision to lift suspensions after meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday with two senior boys who staged a light saber fight, with toy replicas, in the school cafeteria last Thursday.
His decision also lifts a suspension handed down on two other seniors earlier in the week for an incident involving spreading Vaseline on door knobs to offices and other rooms at the school.
“These are all great kids with super futures and they understand the consequences of their action,” the principal said.
The two seniors involved in the Star Wars performance have been identified as Tom Costello and Ryan Angco. The two involved in the Vaseline incident were not identified and Broderick did not name any of the four students.
His suspensions of the four students was supported Tuesday by Superintendent of Schools Shirley Alvira and Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, who serves as chairman of the School Committee. Their support came prior to Broderick’s decision to lift the suspensions after only three days.
“I still support the principal. Mr. Broderick is a seasoned, professional principal and his concern is rightly the safety and well being of all students in his school,” said Alvira.
Knapik called the discipline “tough medicine” but added “Policies have been in place for years and students are aware of them.”
At a senior assembly earlier last week, Broderick said he addressed the issue of graduation pranks and the resulting discipline that would be meted out.
