In year’s past, Homecoming Week has included students toilet papering of homes.
This year a number of students allegedly took this Homecoming toilet papering “tradition” to an unacceptable level.
Security cameras at the Chad Alladin residence in rural Le Sueur County showed a number of young people with toilet paper and some writing on Alladin’s son’s car. His son was a student at WEM but is attending another school this year.
Those things written on the car depicted racist, homophobic, hate-filled language, and other graphic graffiti, including a swastica.
The cameras showed clearly there were more than just a handful of young people at the Alladin residence.
Alladin made a decision to call Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday following the actions which took place somewhere between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9.
According to Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason, the county’s investigative staff took over right away and began the interview process with not only the kids but also their parents due to many being acknowledged as juveniles.
“There is more work we need to do,” Mason said Monday. “We need to interview every one of the kids to see what the motivation was. Each and every individual that is involved is going to get spoken to by law enforcement.”
Once the interview process is finalized, the findings will be forwarded to the Le Sueur County Attorney’s Office where they will make a decision on how to proceed.
Alladin told FOX 9’s Paul Blume he would like this incident to be investigated as a hate crime.
Unfortunately this incident was not the only one reported during Homecoming Week. There was a student pulled out of his slow moving truck in Kilkenny and assaulted while the truck crashed into another vehicle.
There was graffiti drawn on a vehicle in Waterville.
There was a couple in Elysian who had an incident at their home.
There was an individual who entered the WEM High School and toilet papered the inside, which was the last straw Friday morning leading to the presentation of the Homecoming Court during the Friday volleyball game and cancellation of the Saturday night dance.
WEM Superintendent John Regan sent out a letter to WEM families Thursday, Oct. 12 which was to remind students to use good judgment and make positive decisions. Any activities that could be criminal or offensive in nature are unacceptable.
“Please understand that we are unable to publicly comment on the district’s investigation and disciplinary consequences in these matters due to our obligation to maintain student confidentiality,” Regan said in the letter.
Friday morning a second letter was sent out saying a continuation of these activities took place Thursday night and a decision was made to cancel all remaining homecoming...
To see more on this story pick up the Octobe 19, 2023 print edition of the LifeEnterprise.
School, Sheriff’s department investigating student misbehavior
