JOHNSTON COUNTY - Last October, four boys went on the South Johnston High School campus late at night and put glue and toothpicks in 60 exterior door locks, according to the Johnston County Sheriff's Office.

A surveillance camera caught them in the act, said Tammy Amaon, a sheriff's office spokeswoman.

Investigators arrested four teens and charged them with vandalizing the school, a misdemeanor. The boys appeared in court last week.

Jasper Lee, 16, of Benson received a deferred prosecution, which means the charge will be dismissed in a year if he completes 72 hours of community service and commits no other crime, according to court records. William Everhart, 16, of Benson was placed on probation for 18 months. The cases against Randall Balmer, 18, of Newton Grove and Roger Strickland, 17, of Four Oaks were continued.

The boys glued the locks as a homecoming prank, said Kristie Lee, the mother of Jasper Lee. Last week, she pleaded with the Board of Education to let her son, a junior at South Johnston, take part in some student activities even though he has been suspended for the remainder of the school year.

"He's never been in trouble before," Kristie Lee said.

School officials don't release information about student suspensions. But Strickland and Everhart are still enrolled in Johnston County schools, a schools spokeswoman said. Balmer is not a student in Johnston, according to the spokeswoman.

Under the school system's conduct code, a student who vandalizes school property can face long-term suspension. Such a suspension is more likely when the damage to school property exceeds $1,000. Jasper Lee was ordered to make $1,350 in restitution, according to court documents.

He is now being home-schooled. Under the school system's rules for suspensions, he can't take part in school activities, like the senior ball this week or prom in the spring.

Jasper Lee also wants to go to South Johnston ballgames. "It's something we've always done as a family," his mother said.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Ed Croom said school leaders handle suspensions on an individual basis. "Every situation is completely different," he said.

Johnston schools don't have a zero-tolerance policy. Under such a policy, students are suspended from school after the first violation of rules.

School leaders don't make public their decisions about disciplinary actions.

But school board Chairman Larry Strickland said the school system's rules adequately lay out expectations for students.

"I'm comfortable with our policy the way it is," he said.