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Student banned from prom, graduation after Twitter post

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglas County teen accused of tweeting a threat to blow up his school has been suspended for the rest of the school year and banned from his prom and graduation.

"I really wanted to walk with our class," New Manchester High senior Reginald Wright said.

But his dreams are shattered after posting the following message on his Twitter page: "I'm gonna blow up New Manchester. Fear me grrr!!"

The teen said the message he was trying to translate in slang terms under the name "Ashton Trey Williams" was that he was going to bring attention to the school in a radio competition, his attorney said.

Wright's attorney insists the student's tweet was misquoted by administrators and taken out of context to make it appear as if he had violent thoughts to actually blow up the school.

But their argument fell on deaf ears.

http://bcove.me/qm3030bj

Wright is now left with the option to appeal Douglas County School Board's ruling or try to take legal action of some sort. Either way, Richard Wright Sr. said he is devastated by the penalty given to his son.

"He's a kid and we know as a kid, we just do and say things we really don't mean," the elder Wright said.

Wright's family still has to deal with the criminal charges against the teen, which they hope don't interfere with his plans to attend the University of West Georgia.

"After 12 long years, to have just the swipe of a pen, had my son's graduation the culmination of 12 hard years of work we think is unfair just very unfortunate," Wright Sr. said.