SEQUIM — Sequim Police Department detectives have forwarded their investigation to the Clallam County prosecuting attorney’s office for consideration regarding 45 graduating seniors who are alleged to have committed a prank at Sequim High School during graduation week.
Det. Sgt. Darrell Nelson said the investigation was sent July 16.
Potential charges include 39 students cited for second-degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor; six students for second-degree burglary, a Class B felony; and five people for second-degree malicious mischief, a Class C felony.
The students were all seniors, and they were a mix of minors and adults at the time, Nelson said.
Students allegedly involved in the incident were from Sequim High School, Dungeness Virtual School and some not currently enrolled in the district, Sequim School District Superintendent Regan Nickels wrote in a June 6 email to parents and graduating seniors.
Mark Nichols, the county prosecuting attorney, confirmed his office has received the police department’s referral, and he said his staff will have some follow-up questions with the detectives to “make an informed charging decision.”
Nichols said Tracey Lassus, deputy prosecuting attorney assigned to juvenile court, is well-versed in juvenile court cases and will review the incidents consistently with the standards of his office.
Sequim School District officials reported that students gained unauthorized access to a high school building about 10:30 p.m. June 1.
Nelson said 45 students allegedly went inside the H-building, where some students smashed eggs inside two classrooms and outside the building.
A student also allegedly wrote a derogatory term on a whiteboard inside the Life Skills classroom, Nelson said, and others were smoking marijuana, according to camera footage and witness statements.
No charges were forwarded for those allegations, Nelson said.
District officials said there was no permanent damage from the eggs, but staff and students helped clean up the spaces to ensure school started on time on June 2.
Total cleanup of the damages cost the district about $1,100, Nelson said.
School Resource Officer Daniel Martinez conducted the investigation for the police, Nelson said, and the school conducted its own interviews for disciplinary actions.
Nelson said it was the first senior prank the police department has investigated.
Nickels wrote in her email to parents that the “actions disrupted our school community and warrant appropriate consequences.”
“However,” the email stated, “due to the large number of students involved and the limited time remaining before graduation, school administrators were under significant pressure to clean the building, review hours of security footage, conduct interviews, and meet with families. This urgency, while necessary to restore order, unfortunately led to procedural errors in the disciplinary process.”
She also wrote that, “Upon district review, it became clear that some disciplinary actions were not fully supported by a sound and complete process. As a result, certain initial decisions have been revised.
“During this time in which we are asking our students to accept accountability, we must also hold ourselves to that same standard. While school-based consequences have changed for some students, this does not affect any legal outcomes that may result from the ongoing investigation by the Sequim Police Department.”
She added that “when our disciplinary process is not sound, we cannot in good conscience impose consequences that may not be fully supported by due process. Therefore, all students involved will be allowed to participate in graduation.”
She commended the students and staff who helped clean up the building, and the seniors who did not participate in the vandalism. Nickels wrote that staff “remain committed to the values of accountability, respect, and community that define Sequim High School.”
“Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we work through this challenging situation together,” she wrote.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.
