Spare the rod: No charges filed in William Monroe High School vandalism

Students who participated in vandalizing Greene County’s William Monroe High School will not face charges for their destructive acts.

A press release from the Greene County Public Schools (GCPS) details the criminal actions of 60-70 participating students:

Several high school students entered the high school at approximately 11:00 p.m. Thursday using a high school teacher’s key fob. Over the next two hours, about 50-60 additional students entered the building through propped doors. While inside the building, students vandalized school property, resulting in approximately $7,000 in damage. The majority of the damage required professional cleaning services to clean and sanitize common spaces and restrooms.

GCPS Superintendent, Dr. Andrea Whitmarsh, provided a milquetoast observation of the incident:

“We are disappointed that several students made the poor choice to vandalize school property. This behavior is not aligned with the conduct and behavior we expect from our student body. As a result, these students will be held accountable for their actions.”

Laughably, Greene County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Win Consolvo, declined to press charges against any of the vandals, although many, if not all, have been or could be identified:

After consulting with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the Greene County Commonwealth’s Attorney, it was decided that no charges would be filed against the students at this time.

The perpetrators of these unlawful exploits will be encouraged by the spineless response of GCPS and the Commonwealth’s Attorney to their actions. And, future vandals will now know that Greene County is a welcoming community for this brand of desecration.