FIRST ON WWAY: More than 60 students suspended from Laney High School

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) – Laney High School administrators suspended more than 60 students this morning for leaving school.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rick Holliday says while one grade level was keying for the ACT, the rest of the student body had to go to homeroom.  Dr. Holliday says students do not have homeroom daily, only during special occasions like today.

Dr. Holliday says instead of going to homeroom, a large number of students left campus and went to McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Dollar General.

Businesses in Murrayville notified the school, so staff went and rounded up the students and called parents to come and get them.  According to school policy, once students get to campus they are not permitted to leave.

Mandi Ward, a Laney High School parent, said she doesn’t condone the students skipping school, but feels that the punishment was too harsh in this instance.

“It concerns me that they’re sending all these students home, but where were they when the students started walking towards McDonald’s?,” Ward said.

Dr. Holliday says the students were suspended for the day.