3 Bowsher students barred from graduation

Trio part of 5 who tried ‘senior prank’

5/24/2013

Three Bowsher High School seniors will not be permitted to participate in graduation ceremonies after they and two others broke into the building and threw around paint, birdseed, baby oil, and eggs in an attempted “senior prank.”

The seniors, a juvenile junior, and one non-student were charged criminally. Toledo Public Schools officials plan to ask that the students be expelled, said spokesman Patty Mazur.

Charged in the senior prank gone awry are seniors Jayson Boose and Shawn Shores, both 18, of 108 Eldred St. and Montrice Tompkins (who also is named as Lavelle Tompkins), 19, of 2227 Sanford St.

The non-student charged is Richard Price, 18, of 928 Colburn St. The name of the fifth suspect was not available.

The four known suspects were arraigned Thursday in Toledo Municipal Court. Each was charged with one count of vandalism; Mr. Boose and Mr. Price also were charged with one count each of resisting arrest and obstructing official business.

Bond for each man was set at $10,000.

Mr. Boose and Mr. Shores posted a surety bond; the other two remained in the Lucas County jail. The four are to appear for preliminary hearings next Thursday.

At 2:40 a.m. Thursday, an alarm in the school sounded from the back hallway of the building, Ms. Mazur said.

It was not clear how the five got into the building.

According to court documents, Mr. Boose refused to take his hands out of his pockets to be placed in handcuffs; as he was being handcuffed, the teen allegedly refused to put his hands behind his back and struggled with the arresting officer.

Mr. Price, according to court documents, ran from police and, once he was apprehended, refused to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed.

Ms. Mazur said no physical or structural damage was done to the building and building services personnel were called in to clean up before students arrived for class.

The students could face disciplinary action; the prank could interfere with graduation for the seniors, Ms. Mazur said.

According to police, surveillance cameras recorded the teens inside the building creating a mess.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.