SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Seniors at a South Florida high school, who are already disappointed by the cancellation of their special events, said fellow students who planned an after prom party have stolen thousands of dollars that they contributed for the bash.
Students at Coral Reef Senior High School in Southwest Miami-Dade said they were looking forward to the party, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought plans to organize all their in-person graduation events to a screeching halt.
“Yeah, everyone was really excited about it, but obviously, when this came along, we were all really sad,” said a student.
The after prom party was not sponsored by the school but instead organized by a group of seniors. Students said they paid $50 each and were told the venue was somewhere near Wynwood.
The party has since been cancelled, but students said they have not gotten their money back.
The students who spoke with 7News asked not to be identified or show their faces on camera because they fear retaliation from the seniors who, they said, took the money.
“It’s kind of disheartening knowing that your own classmates would do that to the whole class,” said a student.
When asked whether or not the organizers are making money off these funds, another student replied, “Yes, 100%.”
It could be a lot of money. The private Instagram account used to organize the party has almost 450 followers.
Students paid $50 each through Cash App. That means the student organizers could have close to $20,000.
“On that Instagram account, they don’t post any pictures of faces or any names,” said a student. “It’s just, like, their initials in the bio, in the biography of the Instagram, and then they just post, like, information.”
The school posted a message on their social media saying they have nothing to do with the after prom party and are not responsible for any payments or refunds.
After 7News called the phone number associated with one of the Cash App accounts, one of the organizers, Charles Bonilla, agreed to take part in a Zoom call.
When asked if he has a message for students who feel like they’ve been robbed, Bonilla replied, “If I was in your position, I understand why you’d feel that way, and you know me, guys. I’m just trying to do what is right.”
Bonilla, a senior at Coral Reef Senior High, said he is trying to refund the money.
“It has backfired on me. I am the person in charge of the money. I’m the treasurer, so I’ve had a lot of people come at me. I’m giving all the money I can back right now,” he said. “There is a $2,500 limit on Cash App that I can send out. I have already gone through that weekly limit in two days trying to get the refund back to everyone. Unfortunately, there are still people who need to be refunded.”
Bonilla said the students gave the venue a 50% deposit that they still have not been able to get back, but the organizers are in the process of ensuring every student is refunded.
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