Basel School Prank Goes Wrong
Three clever students at Kirschgarten High tried to dodge the school routine by faking positive Covid‑19 alerts—only to end up giving the whole class a decade‑long stay-at-home episode.
What the Three Hooligans Did
- They spoofed SMS messages from the Swiss contact‑tracing app.
- They “sent” the alerts, convincing everyone they were infected.
- About 25 classmates were pulled into a ten‑day quarantine.
Effects on Teachers and Students
- Teachers were left scrambling for lesson plans just before spring break.
- Students, already juggling pandemic pressures, now faced a sudden loss of school days.
School’s Response
“This is not a harmless joke—it’s a serious breach of trust,” said Simon Thiriet, spokesperson for the Basel education department.
The school will pursue criminal charges for faking “health‑relevant documents,” but it won’t expel the students at this time.
Thiriet added that while the pandemic puts everyone in a “difficult situation,” it does not justify a prank that brings the entire class into quarantine.
Bottom Line
What started as a mischievous idea turned into a real‑world lesson about responsibility—and the fine line between pranking and putting others at risk.
