SACO, Maine — Two international students were sent back to their home countries after being accused of taking their host family’s vehicle and going on a joyride.
Both boys were international students in Thornton Academy. One was a middle schooler from China, the other a high school sophomore from Taiwan. Thornton Academy’s Headmaster Rene Menard said it was their first school year in the United States.
They are back with their parents after being expelled.
The host mother said via email that she had left the boys home for 15 minutes Sunday afternoon, and that’s when they took her car. She said they did severe damage to the car during that joyride, though it’s not clear where they went.
The headmaster says that’s behavior the school is not willing to tolerate
“They made a poor decision, and it causes us to wonder what other types of poor decisions might they make in the future,” Menard said.
No one was injured, and Menard said the family would be reimbursed for the damage. Talks between the host family and the school are ongoing.