Commack High School students in trouble over Twitter photos

COMMACK (WABC) -- Six seniors at Commack High School are in deep trouble for the pictures they posted on Twitter. Now everyone wants to know what was going through their minds.

"When they showed me the picture, I thought 'this is ridiculous, I go to this school, and I've been here for three years. These kids are older than me - have some respect!'" said student Danielle DiFrancisco. "It doesn't just affect them, it affects the whole school, too."

Senior Ali Salam knows the students who posted the picture.

"They were actually doing it off a book called 'The Fault in Our Stars' - on the cover it says 'OK' with a question mark, and then "OK." underneath it with a period. And that's what they're using to defend themselves, but it's still pretty wrong."

The Commack School District said it is considering disciplinary action against the students. A statement to Eyewitness News said,

"We deeply regret the turmoil caused by the actions of these students and know that it does not reflect the values of the rest of Commack High School or the Commack community."

On Sept. 24, the school district said that it is continuing the investigation and has found another photograph that "depicts a word that is in clear violation of our Code of Conduct."

"While the District is not legally permitted to confirm or release the names of the students involved in these incidents, be assured that we are taking any and all necessary steps to investigate and address the issues surrounding these actions," said a statement from Brenda Lentsch, spokesperson for Commack Public Schools. "Once our investigation and due process are complete, students found responsible will face the consequences set forth in Commack's Code of Conduct and applicable State law(s)."

Clarice Murphy with the Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk, which operates a 24-hour rape hotline, says she was appalled when she first saw the photos. "Almost half of rape victims are teenagers," she said.

Murphy then realized there was an opportunity and she reached out to the Commack School District. She has offered to come in and educate the children and said she welcomes the boys with open arms.

"Because they have put themselves in the limelight, they have a great opportunity to take some responsibility for what they did, but also to educate themselves and help educate other people in the community," Murphy adds.

However, no one at the school is seeing the joke. "They weren't intentionally trying to promote rape at all, they just thought it might be funny at the time," says senior Ryan Elgar.

The students in the photo were in school on Friday, and the principal made an announcement.

The school district has not discussed any disciplinary actions towards the students yet.