Ms. Schaefer did not return phone calls. The superintendent, however, said Ms. Schaefer “categorically says it was not the case” that she made such a suggestion. “And I absolutely believe her,” he said.

Either way, on Feb. 26, Ms. Pecorella and Mr. Krauss drove to North Babylon High School. According to a copy of the unpublished article provided by Ms. Pecorella, this is what happened:

“First, we entered through a set of doors toward the north end of the high school. Upon entering the building, we were immediately intercepted by clearly marked security guards wearing bright orange jackets, who asked for our school identification cards. After a quick excuse that our cards were left in the car, we were escorted back out the doors and were instructed not to re-enter without our cards.”

But re-enter they did.

“When we located a door not protected by security, we were sighted by a passing student who opened the door for us,” their account continued. “Upon entering the building, the next step was to make a full lap around the school as our first subjects had done in West Islip.”

Within moments, the students were stopped by a security guard and taken to the dean’s office, where, Ms. Pecorella said in an interview, the principal told them they “would see the full extent of the security at the school.”

The two were taken by Suffolk County police officers to the First Precinct station in separate cars, searched, photographed and shackled to a table with other prisoners before being freed on $50 bail. They were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.

That night, they wrote their article together via Skype. But it never ran.

According to Superintendent Simon, the principal of West Islip, Anthony Bridgeman, said the article was too focused on North Babylon. It also “kind of glorified their being arrested,” Mr. Simon said. He added that Dr. Bridgeman offered the students a chance to recast their article, but that they stopped going to journalism class and did not return text messages from the editor in chief of Paw Prints.

Ms. Pecorella disputed that, saying Dr. Bridgeman “absolutely did not want us to print anything about the topic of security; he was not willing to work with us to change the story.” Mr. Krauss conceded that they had mentally checked out of journalism class, amid feelings of betrayal.