Mom: Daughter suspended over paper ball fight at Ben Davis HS

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Back to back incidents were reported at Ben Davis High School this week just before the end of the year and graduation.

Some students now face the consequences and the possibility they won’t be walking across the stage on graduation day.

Parents shared video with 24-Hour News 8 of what appeared to be a paper ball fight in the hallways of that high school Thursday morning.

One mother said her daughter, who is an honor roll student, has been suspended over what happened. She’s not happy, claiming other students involved did not receive the same punishment.

“I’m very upset, I mean, if it’s the situation that these other students are let off because they are athletes that’s a huge issue,” said Heather Norton, parent. “My child is an honor student, she gets good grades, she’s a good student, she’s never been in trouble.”

The cell phone video was provided by Norton showing dozens of students throwing boxes and paper balls at one another. The mess scattered across the hallway.

“It was somewhat of a senior prank, not even really that,” she said. “The students decided to throw paper balls in the hallway, my daughter was caught on camera carrying a box of paper balls.”

Norton said she received a phone call from one of the deans telling her that her daughter has been suspended.

“She received a three day suspension. She may not get to walk with her senior class, she was not able to attend her night of excellence this evening for her honors awards,” she said.

Norton’s daughter’s graduation is scheduled for next weekend.

“She’s very upset, very very upset, this is devastating to her. To get this far and have it all ripped away because of that,” she said.

Norton accepted the punishment for her daughter at first, but not anymore. She claimed other students also seen on video did not get in trouble.

“The kids that were throwing the paper that’s just as dangerous as my child carrying the box down the hallway,” she said. “But they didn’t get any consequences for that.”

She’s now hoping school administrators will give this incident another look, so she said they can be fair to everyone.

“I know there are several parents that are irate for the same exact reasons and no one wants to answer their questions as to why these particular students were not reprimanded for the same incident,” she said.

Norton said she will know Friday whether her daughter will be able to walk at graduation.

24-Hour News 8 contacted the school district by phone, email, and social media but did not hear back.