Local

Marietta High School TP-ed in 50-year tradition

MARIETTA, Ga. — Before they can head to the classroom for the first day of school on Wednesday, one group of Marietta students has some cleaning up to do.

Seniors at Marietta High School continued the decades-long tradition of toilet papering the school. Every tree and bush lining the school is covered in toilet paper.

A giant sign at the school reads, "2015. We do it better."

A cleaning crew that was inside the school overnight said more than 50 students showed up around midnight Wednesday and didn't leave until 3 a.m.

Last year, the school's principal told Channel 2 Action News he doesn't consider the prank vandalism as long as there is no permanent damage, and the seniors clean up the mess.

"They just see it as playful. They're excited that it's the first day of school and in the end, that's a wonderful thing to have kids excited to come back to school," Principal Leigh Colburn said. "I work with principals all the time and hear about glue in the locks, eggs on schools. Our kids have never done anything like that. Our kids toilet paper the school once a year."

The prank goes back to at least 50 years ago.