'Free The Forking Seniors' Texas Students Suspended After Prank

COMFORT, TX — Dozens of high school seniors have been suspended following a senior prank in Texas — a punishment local parents say doesn't fit the crime.

The Comfort High School seniors planned to stick forks in a practice field as part of their senior prank, according to local news station WAOI. After they "forked" the field, some other students went inside the school, rearranged some items and left behind streamers and balloons.

All of the students involved have received an in-school suspension and senior privileges have been taken away, WAOI reported. Among the students involved are the valedictorian, salutatorian and other students who are in the top 10 percent of the class.

When notified of the suspensions students thought they were being pranked for their forking prank.

"We all actually kind of thought this was their way of pranking us," Shannon Tonroy, whose daughter is the valedictorian, told WAOI.

On social media, the hashtag #freetheforkingseniors has taken off, with conversations between local parents about whether the suspensions are an appropriate response.

Comfort Liquors, a local store, posted a photo on Facebook that read "Congrats Class of 2021. We're so forking proud!!"

Neither Comfort Independent School District Superintendent Tanya Monroe nor Comfort High School Principal Darren Williams immediately responded to Patch's request for comment.