A group of high school students said they were trying to make the holidays merry for their fellow students.
But school officials at Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Va. said what they were making was a mess, and the kids needed to be disciplined.
On Monday, 10 boys -- who call themselves members of the Christmas Sweater Club -- went to school carrying bags of candy canes. While singing carols, the young men distributed the treats in the school hallway.
"We were just spreading some cheer, throwing out some candy," said Sklar Torbett, a club member.
According to school authorities, the treat-sharing degenerated into a food fight. As a result, each of the 10 candy cane sharers was given two hours of detention.
Students were never disciplined for spreading holiday cheer. This is not a 'bah humbug' kind of thing. Students created a mess," said Ken Blackstone, a spokesman for Prince William County schools, in a statement
School officials also said that the way the boys delivered the treats was far from cheerful. In an e-mail to parents, Battlefield High School Principal Amy Ethridge-Conti write, "By the time the bell rang to start the first period class, several students reported being hit in the face/head by flying canes."
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Parents of the Christmas Sweater Club think that their children are being wrongfully punished.
"I can't for the life of me see why these kids would go in to school after they've spent their time and money to go injure students with miniature candy canes," said Patti Gleason, a mother of one of the boys. "I don't really think that was their intention."
While the students have been allowed to pass out candy canes in the hallways before class, school officials are sticking to their guns on the two hour detention. They must spend that time cleaning the school's floors.
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