A federal judge has ruled the senior class president of East Paulding High School can attend his graduation after being arrested for vandalizing the school.

The Paulding County School Board had denied Jacob Zimmerman's suspension appeal last month following his arrest along with nearly two dozen other students from the school.

The board said Zimmerman would not be allowed to attend East Paulding High School and would finish his high school education at an alternative school.

The 17-year-old had wanted to be able to attend the school for at least part of his daily schedule to attend several Advanced Placement classes, but the school board ruled against him.

"It just really hurts. The school board, you'd think they [would] want the best for the kids, but this is the exact opposite," Zimmerman told Channel 2 Action News.

Zimmerman is one of two dozen teens charged in a March 11 vandalism spree at East Paulding.

Surveillance footage shows the teens tagging the phrase "Seniors 2012" all over the campus.

Zimmerman said it was a long-standing senior prank that was supposed to involve just painting a street. He said when he saw it getting out of hand, he left.

School officials said the vandalism caused $7,500 in damages. The teens were all charged with criminal interference with government property, a felony.

The school board said not only will the suspension stick, Zimmerman is not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities or walk at graduation.

Thursday, a judge decided Zimmerman could walk during the May 26 graduation ceremony.

"We felt the school board upped the punishment on Jake -- barring him from graduation -- simply because he appealed the decision and talked to the media about it," Lester Tate, one of the student's lawyers, said. "We are very gratified he can now participate in the graduation ceremony."

Zimmerman was in the running to be valedictorian, which is why he hired an attorney to help him fight to be reinstated.