Family of Teacher Who Died During Prom Season Prank Supports Dropping Charges Against Teens

Five teenagers were arrested after teacher Jason Hughes, 40, was run over when he slipped and fell outside his home in Gainesville, Georgia, while chasing them for covering his front yard in toilet paper as part of a prank war that had been a school tradition for years.

The father of two wasn’t trying to angrily confront them but “was excited and waiting to catch them in the act,” his wife, Laura, told the New York Times.

Jason Hughes sits smiling at a table with a birthday cake.
Georgia teacher Jason Hughes was run over after he slipped and fell into a street while trying to confront teenagers who were playing a prank on him.Facebook / Cliff Cape

Mugshot of Jayden Wallace.
Student Jayden Wallace allegedly fatally ran over teacher Jason Hughes in a prank gone wrong.Hall County Sheriff’s Office
The family fully “supports getting the charges dropped for all involved,” the grieving widow said, saying her husband loved the students, who face up to 15 years in prison.

“This is a terrible tragdy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,” Laura, who is also a math teacher at the same high school, continued.
“This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.”

One of the teenagers, Jayden Wallace, 18, is facing up to 15 years behind bars after police charged him with vehicular homicide in the teacher’s death.

A house and a tree in front of it are covered in toilet paper at night.
Jason Hughes’ home is covered in toilet paper after teenagers played a prank on him.Instagram/nthjuniorseniorwars23
Hughes stepped outside around 11:40 p.m. Thursday and walked over to the cars that Wallace and four other teens were getting into to flee after they tossed toilet paper over his property, officials said.

The educator tripped and fell into the road, which was slick from rain, and was run over as Wallace drove his pickup truck away.

The horrified teens stopped to check on Hughes and provided first aid until emergency responders arrived and transported him to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Jason Hughes and his wife Laura Palmer Hughes in matching red shirts with the Georgia Bulldogs logo, both pointing one finger up.
Jason Hughes with his wife, Laura, in an undated photo.Facebook/Laura Palmer Hughes
Wallace’s accused co-pranksters — Elijiah Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque, and Ariana Cruz, all 18 — were arrested outside Hughes’ home and charged with criminal trespass and littering.

Hughes’ family thanked the community for the “outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason,” according to WSBTV.

“We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.”

A family of four, including two boys and two adults, stand smiling in a forest.
Jason Hughes with his wife, Laura, and their two children.GoFundMe
The accident came hours after school officials warned juniors and seniors to end the annual prank war because students had taken things “too far” in previous years.

“Our hearts are broken. Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father, a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues,” the school district said in a statement to the outlet. “He gave so much to so many in numerous ways. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family.”

A beloved Georgia teacher was killed in a prom season prank gone wrong — and his family says they want criminal charges dropped against the students who were allegedly involved.

Jason Hughes, 40, of Gainesville, a married father of two and a math teacher and golf coach at North Hall High School in Gainesville, died on Friday, March 6, during a toilet papering prank, according to a news release from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

Hughes’ death comes just days after the school district warned students of past prom season pranks that went “too far.”

In Memory of Jason Hughes: Support His Family High School Teacher Killed During Prank Gone Wrong Outside His Home, 5 Teens Arrested

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On March 6, five teens in Gainesville, including Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, “rolled” the trees in Hughes’ yard with toilet paper as part of a senior prank, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

When Hughes came out of his home, the teens got into two different vehicles to flee the scene: Wallace’s pickup truck and another vehicle.

It was raining out, and the teacher was struck by Wallace’s truck when he slipped in the road as the teens were fleeing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Wallace and the others who were allegedly involved in the prank stopped and administered aid to Hughes until emergency responders arrived at the scene, according to the release. Hughes later died at the hospital.

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Wallace and four other teens, Elijah Tate Owens, 18, Aiden Hucks, 18, Ana Katherine Luque, 18, and Ariana Cruz, 18, all of Gainesville, were arrested at the scene.

Wallace is charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving in connection with Hughes’ death, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

He and the four other teens are also charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property.

In the aftermath of Hughes’ death, his family says they would support dropping the charges.

The family told The New York Times “This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students.”

“This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.”

Wallace and Hughes were close, Matt Williams, a friend of Hughes, told ABC News. “The family wants to make clear that they knew these kids and they loved them and these kids loved the Hughes’s. This was not a malicious act.”

Hughes’ family told ABC News that Hughes knew the students were coming to pull the prank and was excited.

In a statement, the family said, “We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason. We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.”

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A longtime teacher, Hughes was the father of two young boys, according to a GoFundMe.

In a statement obtained by WXIA, a Hall County School District spokesperson described him as a “loving husband” and “devoted father.”

Just days before the fatal March 6 incident, the district warned students about prom pranks included in what it dubbed “Junior/Senior Wars,” stating that some in years past “have gone too far” in a statement addressed to parents and students on Facebook.

“We urge all students to refrain from participating in any activities that may cause harm or destruction to school or personal property.”

The school district went on to warn that “damaging property can lead to criminal charges, not to mention the potential repercussions on your participation in graduation ceremonies and other special events planned for this time of year.”

“We cannot stress enough the importance of making responsible choices and thinking about the long-term impact of your actions,” the district warned.

It is unclear whether the teens have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.