Pocono News Section

Vandals Strike Junior High

Vandals Strike Junior High - Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 4:05PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, Aug 14, 2008 @ 04:05pm EST
STROUDSBURG - When Brian Pope headed into work at the Stroudsburg School District he planned on mowing ball fields. Instead, he and several other district Maintenance workers scrubbed graffiti.

"It must nice. The kids think we don't have anything else to do," he said.

Police said three young people sprayed car paint all over and around the Stroudsburg Junior High building. They believe it happened at about one o'clock Thursday morning.

"Painting the walls, and the grounds, and the blacktop, sidewalks, " explained Pope.

The crews had to clean up all sorts of scribbles and insults but the one they've seen the most says "no uniforms."

The school passed a uniform dress code earlier this year. It appears the vandals decided to express their anger about it.

"They could express it in a different way I would think," remarked Pope.

The school Superintendent added most people have no problem with the dress code. He said, "I don't want to paint the picture that that's the sense of all the kids or all the parents in the district. These are three kids that decided that they were going to damage a building."

And those kids will pay. Toleno said, "People are going to be charged for trespassing. They're gonna be charged with damage of our property and wherever that takes them in the system is where it takes them."

Pope added, "It kinda stinks that you think this is our new generation."

If caught, the vandals will also have to pay restitution for maintenance workers over time and cleaning supplies.