MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Baldwin High School officials banned nearly three dozen students from the school’s upcoming graduation ceremonies after a senior prank last week that sent some students into panic attacks.

Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Norris Price alleges the 35 pranksters “created a very dangerous and unsafe situation” when they donned black clothes and white face masks as they sprayed their classmates with water guns and doused them with water balloons in the high school cafeteria before classes on Thursday, WSB-TV reports.

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“These students disregarded the directives of the resource officer, teachers and administrators creating a total disruption to the operation of the school. Students who were involved in the incident will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony,” Price wrote in a statement cited by WMAZ.

“They will still graduate with their diplomas and any honors that they achieved during their high school years.”

School officials allege the prank caused property damage, and sent two students into panic attacks. One of the panicked students required emergency medical treatment, but both are now fine.

School officials reviewed video footage of the incident to identify students who participated and announced the punishment on Saturday.

The decision prompted many angry parents to confront school officials and sound off in the media.

“We have parents that this is their first child graduating. You can never get another school graduation. High school graduation is a once in a lifetime thing,” parent Valeria Wells told WMAZ.

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Tramaine Reeves, another parent, also complained that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.

“This is one of the high points of her life. It really hurt her to find out that she could miss graduation,” Reeves said. “I understand mistakes were made by the kids … the punishment was way too harsh. They worked 12 years of their lives to have it torn down … for things that kids do.”

Student Michaela Wynn told the news site she participated in the prank and said that decision now means she won’t fulfill a promise to her mother who died months ago.

“For me, I feel like I let my mom down, because all she ever talked about while she was here was she wanted to see me graduate, go off to college and be somebody, so this is really hurting me,” Wynn said.

Seniors who spoke with WMAZ contend that the water attack wasn’t the first senior prank at the school this year, but district spokesman Byron Wellman alleges there has been no senior pranks at the school for a decade.

Students banned from graduation and their families are now pleading with school officials to consider a less severe punishment, though it’s unclear whether the school administration is considering the request.

“We’ll do community service, anything at this point, at least to just get this walk across the stage,” Wynn said. “We can only do it once and we will never get this time back.”