WINNETKA, Ill. (STNG) - Suspended New Trier High School senior Jonah Greenthal was back at school Thursday - but only briefly so he could take his advanced placement exams for college. 

WBBM's Bob Roberts has more.

Greenthal is charged with misdemeanor computer tampering for allegedly breaking into the school's electronic student records. 

Friends and other seniors said Greenthal is taking his three-month suspension, the decision by school officials to bar him from prom and graduation ceremonies, and his arrest this week “hard,” and said they are upset with the administration's stand.

“That's extreme. They're ruining his life,” said fellow New Trier senior Christina Warner as she waited for a bus after taking placement exams Thursday.

“I think it's over the top,” said fellow senior Noah Wasserman, who said he considers himself a friend of Greenthal, and said he continues to tutor students off-campus in classes to which he was assigned before his suspension as a teacher's aide -- even preparing them study guides.

“That's taking it too far,” said senior Mona Kelkar, who said New Trier administrators should have put the episode behind them and allowed Greenthal back into his classes weeks ago.

Winnetka Police Deputy Chief Patrick Kreis said Thursday that there is no indication that anyone else was involved in the hacking, and said he could not recall a similar incident at New Trier, “at least nothing in recent history.” 

But senior Abby Needles said Greenthal is not the first and probably won't be the last student to hack the computer to find his class ranking, a statistic New Trier keeps but for years has refused to divulge, even to the students themselves. She said Greenthal is driven to succeed, and said pressure to perform is an everyday fact of life at the school, informally called “the Harvard of high schools” for decades.

“At New Trier there's a lot of pressure to be the best, do the best, get the best grades,” Needles said. “So a lot of students look for people who may know what the class ranks are just because they're curious, just because they want to be on top.”

Wasserman said Greenthal continues to be driven to help fellow students despite his suspension.

“He's creating review packets,” he said. “I think he's an asset to the school and by keeping him from the school, it's actually a detriment.”

New Trier spokesperson Laura Blair said the decision to allow Greenthal to take his AP exams did not indicate a change in the suspension or handling of the case, which she called “unfortunate for the student and the family.”

Kreis indicated that New Trier staff contacted them on Feb. 22, requesting the investigation.  Staff allegedly caught Greenthal logged into the school computer on his laptop while on campus.

Students have made T-shirts and wristbands to show support for Greenthal, who is free on $1,000 bond on a misdemeanor charge of computer tampering, a charge that could draw a jail term of up to one year and a $1,000 fine if he is convicted.

Greenthal's next court appearance is at 10:30 a.m. June 5, in Room 102 of the Skokie Courthouse.