The Associated Press
3/26/2004, 11:35 a.m. ET

FOX CHAPEL, Pa. (AP) — Authorities were seeing red after someone used spray paint to write "Seniors '04" on a gold-leafed dinosaur statue on loan to Fox Chapel Area High School.

Timothy J. Sloser, of Oakmont, said he was very disappointed someone would damage the statue known as Dino-Gold, which he bought for $4,000 from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and then lent to the high school.

"When I talked to the principal, I told him the students are so polite, that the teachers and parents have done a good job of raising these kids. We all felt comfortable with it ... that with great kids, nothing would happen," Sloser told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I guess one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch."

Dino-Gold was wrapped in 3,000 sheets of gold leaf and could not get a anti-graffiti clear coat because of its delicate surface.

In addition to the red paint on Dino-Gold, dozens of concrete paving stones were damaged sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The damage was reported to police. School district spokeswoman Bonnie Berzonski said the damages would be paid from the senior activities fund, likely resulting in some other activities being canceled.