The $48,000 high school prank

A prank played by a Nanaimo student on his friend which triggered their schools sprinkler system has resulted in the boy and his parents being ordered to pay $48,000 in damages.

On Jan. 17, 2012, Carson Dean, then a 14-year-old student attending Wellington Secondary School, decided to play a prank on his friend Ben Daniel during the lunch break.

Carson took his friends padlock and tried to attach it to the sprinkler head in the ceiling of one of the schools hallways.

Unfortunately the prank led to the schools entire sprinkler system being activated, causing extensive water damage in the school.

During the incident, the fire alarm went off and the entire school was evacuated. Carson went to the assembly area and confessed his involvement to a teacher.

The school district sued the boy and his parents, Cheryl and Kevin Dean, arguing that the boy was negligent and should have to pay for the water damage, which amounted to $48,000.

At trial, the parents argued that their son was not negligent and that the School Act does not impose liability unless the student intended to cause damage, which wasnt the case.

They also argued that their son was a normal, rambunctious and impulsive 14-year-old boy who wouldnt know how a sprinkler head was activated and would not have understood the risks.

But in a ruling released Thursday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick that while a school assumes care of a child dropped off at the school, the school also sets out certain behaviours expected of a child.

In the case of Carson, he was well aware of the ability to play with things and break them and also knew that he wasnt supposed to be attaching his friends padlock anywhere he wanted, said the judge.

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The $48,000 high school prank