Four students charged after noose incident at Wakefield High School

Four teens are facing misdemeanor charges in connection with a noose incident at Wakefield High School in Raleigh.

Zachary Holt and Kai Birdsall, both 18, and a 17-year-old are charged with trespassing, damage to real property and damage to personal property. Maxwell Birdsall, 18, is charged with trespassing and damage to personal property.

School officials began an investigation after someone hanged a teddy bear by its neck by a rope next to a sign that read “Make Wakefield Tripp Again #SmartLunch" from the roof of Wakefield High School on May 30.

Parents and students claim the act references the former principal, Tripp Crayton, who was replaced by Malik Bazzell in 2015.

"Let me be clear: This was an offensive act that has no place in our school," Bazzell said in a release. "The imagery is deeply offensive and everyone in our school community should be appalled."

Bazzell said the incident may have been part of the annual senior prank tradition, but "it is in no way funny. It is not a prank."

"As a school team, we will discuss ways to help our students better understand the community in which we want to live."

The school's stadium and baseball field were also vandalized.