When a group of Tennessee high school seniors showed up at school in pajamas, they were just trying to have a little fun. A student posted a video of the incident on TikTok, and it appeared innocent. However, a school staff member at Halls High School, identified online as Assistant Principal Kasey Warren, thwarted the prank almost immediately and barred them from entering the school.
TikTokers quickly observed Warren’s attire, and many questioned how pajamas were any less appropriate than what she wore to school that day. The entire incident has caused quite an uproar, as many people believe the administration overreacted.
TikToker @r5jigg posted video of the senior prank and it amassed 1.5 million views. In the video, a group of seniors quietly enter the building on a school day in the midst of a storm. Warren, wearing a T-shirt and tight blue jeans, stops them.
“If ya’ll are wearing pajamas you will go turn around and get changed because this is not a senior prank,” she says. “We’ve got a dress code.”
A few students fired off confetti poppers, but most stood back in disbelief. The weather conditions outside the building look dangerous, particularly for less-experienced teenage drivers. But Warren stands firm, threatening to bar them from walking on the stage at graduation and refusing to let them in.
“I’m not playing. Do not come in here with pajamas,” she says as the students turn around to leave.
The original poster gave a bit more context in the comments.
“So Senior prank day has been a thing for years. So HHS Seniors wear pajamas to school for their Prank. They weren’t even allowed in the door in a middle of a severe thunderstorm,” the person wrote.
The video has more than 3,000 comments, nearly all supporting the high school students.
“As a teacher I’m appalled. These kids chose the most benign prank and it’s their last year as a ‘kid’. Let them live. Geez,” someone wrote.
Another person agreed and wrote, “You get ONE senior prank and they chose the sweetest most wholesome one and THIS is the one gets shutdown quick??”
“Yet she can wear jeans 2x too small for her bffr,” someone commented, pointing out Warren’s outfit.
@itsashley_yall ♬ original sound – 💗Ash💗
In a second version of the video posted by @itsashley_yall, students are running through the school’s parking lot in a torrential downpour. Many people commented about how dangerous the situation could have been.
“This principal should be reprimanded. The weather was way too bad for an inexperienced high school student to be traveling in unnecessarily,” someone wrote.
“Ohh heck no! I just don’t think I’d go back to school! Forget going and changing. Not to mention the safety of those kids if it’s tornado,” another person agreed.
One commenter, who is a parent, suggested an interesting way to get the point across, writing, “As a parent, I would show up in pajamas to confront her about this.”
Some commenters could understand Warren’s desire to follow the rules, but they felt she should have handled the situation differently.
“I understand what she is saying, but sending them home was dangerous. She should be embarrassed by her actions,” one critic wrote.
CafeMom reached out to Warren and the Lauderdale County School District. They did not respond to our request for comment.
