CATSKILL — The Catskill Village Police Department on Thursday released the names of four Catskill High School seniors charged in connection with driving dirt bikes in a school hallway Wednesday morning.
Nathan Huber, Ryan Larsen and Matthew Bulich, all 18, were charged with disorderly conduct for the incident, which the district says was part of a senior prank, village police said.
Police said Christopher Slonina, also 18, rode a bicycle and was ticketed for reckless driving.
All four were given appearance tickets returnable to Catskill Village Court.
The students will also be facing disciplinary action from the school district, which could include not being allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony on June 26, according to Catskill School Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Farrell.
Bulich, who is the second cousin of Catskill Board of Education member Michael Bulich, is a member of the school’s snowboarding team and was named its Most Valuable Player for the 2009-10 season. He made the school’s honor roll for the third quarter.
Slonina, also a member of the snowboarding team, is on the school’s merit roll for the third quarter.
Larsen is a member of the school’s wrestling and track and field teams.
“The district recognizes that the senior prank is an age-old ritual, but unfortunately three students upped the ante,” Farrell said.
Farrell would not speak to the character of the four students on Thursday, only calling their actions “abhorrent behavior.”
Six other students, who Farrell said knew of the plans, will also face disciplinary action.
Pranks of this scale are not new to the school, but this is the first in a decade that has generated talk of disciplinary action and a partial ban from graduation.
Ten years ago, a group of Catskill High School graduating seniors were not allowed to participate with their peers at commencement after they brought a junk car on school grounds at night and deposited it on the front lawn of the high school.
The students were permitted to attend the ceremony, but they were not allowed to sit with their classmates and they could not receive their diplomas until the ceremony concluded.
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