Student denied diploma due to excessive cheering from family members

[rkell87]

http://gawker.com/5916037/student-d...ily-cheered-too-loudly-at-graduation-ceremony


But the school thought the disruptive behavior warranted a withholding of Anthony's diploma. "I will be holding your diploma in the main office due to the excessive cheering your guests displayed during the roll call," said principal Marlon Styles, Jr. in a letter to the student.

His diploma will be held hostage until Anthony performs 20 hours of community service, but his mother is refusing to cave in to their demands. "He's definitely not doing the community service," she said.

Anthony, meanwhile, is concerned about how the delay could impact his higher education. "I have a college right now that definitely needs my diploma," he said.


the no-cheering policy claimed a second victim when a mother was hauled out of the South Florence High School in handcuffs after she expressed ebullience at the sight of her daughter receiving her diploma.

 

[Tabascocat]

I don't see how a principal has any legal right to implement that. If the kid went out buck naked and mooned everyone, then that is a diff story, and prob. still no legal action could be taken beside summer D-halls or whatever.

 

[Reality]

I hate when parents lose their minds at graduations and it is even worse when they carry on drowning out the following students so they and their families do not hear their name called. We live in a society where disrespect is justified as "your problem, not mine" sadly.

That being said, there is no legal grounds where a school can withhold a diploma from a student over cheering relatives or friends. If the student himself/herself instigates or causes a disruption, they could possibly use it as an excuse to delay the handing over of a diploma, but I doubt even that would hold up in court.

On the bright side, when you receive your diploma at a graduation event, it is simply a formality. You have already graduated and that is simply a public recognition of your achievement.

#reality

 

[rkell87]

I hate when parents lose their minds at graduations and it is even worse when they carry on drowning out the following students so they and their families do not hear their name called. We live in a society where disrespect is justified as "your problem, not mine" sadly.

That being said, there is no legal grounds where a school can withhold a diploma from a student over cheering relatives or friends. If the student himself/herself instigates or causes a disruption, they could possibly use it as an excuse to delay the handing over of a diploma, but I doubt even that would hold up in court.

On the bright side, when you receive your diploma at a graduation event, it is simply a formality. You have already graduated and that is simply a public recognition of your achievement.

#reality

when I graduated they gave me a fake diploma on stage and mailed the real one weeks later during the summer

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

when I graduated they gave me a fake diploma on stage and mailed the real one weeks later during the summer

yea, that's pretty standard. not to mention a college doesn't need your diploma. they need transcripts and need to know if you met all of the requirements set forth by the state to graduate, but the actual diploma, no.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I hate when parents lose their minds at graduations and it is even worse when they carry on drowning out the following students so they and their families do not hear their name called. We live in a society where disrespect is justified as "your problem, not mine" sadly.

We get these people on the subway (mostly upper teens to twenty-somethings) who insist on carrying on a conversation in an extremely loud voice and also insist on using as many expletives as they can possibly fit in each sentence. You literally want to kick them through the wall of the subway car.

They should allow people to carry and use tasers just for these people.

 

[Duane]

I hate when parents lose their minds at graduations and it is even worse when they carry on drowning out the following students so they and their families do not hear their name called. We live in a society where disrespect is justified as "your problem, not mine" sadly.

That being said, there is no legal grounds where a school can withhold a diploma from a student over cheering relatives or friends. If the student himself/herself instigates or causes a disruption, they could possibly use it as an excuse to delay the handing over of a diploma, but I doubt even that would hold up in court.

On the bright side, when you receive your diploma at a graduation event, it is simply a formality. You have already graduated and that is simply a public recognition of your achievement.

#reality

Nailed it Reality. How would they feel if someone else made it so loud that they couldn't hear their kid's name called out?

 

[joseephuss]

They also want him to do 20 hours of community service before they give him his diploma. This principal is on a power trip or as many people on this board would say he is "going Goodell" on the kid.

 

[zrinkill]

Wow ..... what a horrible lesson to teach a kid entering society as an adult.

Punishing him for anothers behavior.


Actually does not surprise me in this "changed" America.

 

[Longboysfan]

Wow ..... what a horrible lesson to teach a kid entering society as an adult.

Punishing him for anothers behavior.


Actually does not surprise me in this "changed" America.

Sounds just like people who can but do not work.

 

[TheCount]

holy smokes, did anyone see the video of him trying to read the letter he received from the school? They DEFINITELY should withhold his diploma, get that dude back in English class pronto! :laugh2:

Hopefully it was just the nervousness of reading on camera, but damn man! I can't imagine getting up in front of a college class to present something with those kind of reading skills.

 

[BlueStar3398]

I disagree with punishing the kid because his family acted like heathens.

I went to my neice's high school graduation a week ago. Some of the families brought air horns! I thought that was over-the-top. It was like a contest with some of these people to see which family could make the most noise.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I hate when parents lose their minds at graduations and it is even worse when they carry on drowning out the following students so they and their families do not hear their name called. We live in a society where disrespect is justified as "your problem, not mine" sadly.

That being said, there is no legal grounds where a school can withhold a diploma from a student over cheering relatives or friends. If the student himself/herself instigates or causes a disruption, they could possibly use it as an excuse to delay the handing over of a diploma, but I doubt even that would hold up in court.

On the bright side, when you receive your diploma at a graduation event, it is simply a formality. You have already graduated and that is simply a public recognition of your achievement.

#reality

Some things are justified as being other people's problems when you could think they're otherwise yours. For instance, if my armpits stink to a mild to moderate degree and you're moaning. That's you're problem. If you don't like notherbob's breath because he ate some garlic. You're. freakin'. problem, dude.

Catch this. If Cajun Cowboy comes putting his crawfish smellin' fingers in your face. His problem. But you know what? You gotta fix it. (JK)

But I get what you're saying. Drowning out or even embarrassing your kid to a mild, moderate, extreme degree isn't cool either. I remember hating it when my parents cheered. It really depends on the disposition of the kid and what level they're on.

I do think some parents are more apt to do more harm than good with cheering so much. Just let them be kids. Clap. Tell them good job when you X... otherwise, kids will be kids. You have to expect them to want to be alike. One getting a lot more "cheer" than the other isn't really the best way of showing them you care.

 

[DallasEast]

She says no one should have been surprised about the consequences of bad behavior.

"Parents did know all this information up front," she said. "They signed off saying I understand that this is what's going to happen."

Handler says the Cornists signed the agreement with the school to conduct themselves appropriately.

Traci Cornist says if she signed it, she never read it.

She claims she was unaware of the policy, even thought she admitted to posting a message to Facebook stating, "We showed so much Support...That maybe we are about to be escorted out the building...Who cares my baby just graduated!"

Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/local_...amily-should-do-the-right-thing#ixzz1xOnIqftN

Acting upon ignorance is one thing. Knowing the possible consequences is another.

The school should discard the letter acknowledgment altogether. Such things mean jack squat to some unless they are forced to have documents notarized. Sometimes even that holds very little meaning. What they should do is place signage at the entrances leading into the area where the graduation takes place. All excuses fly out the window unless family members of a graduate are blind or illiterate.

According to the story, the child and his fellow graduates were "angelic". He put in the time and effort to graduate. He deserves his diploma and should not lift a finger to receive what is deservedly his. Because of their own actions, the family should do one of two things IMMEDIATELY:

• Sue the school district for the diploma, even though they were possibly guilty of breaking the school rule themselves. Or
• Man up, take turns without the young man doing a microsecond of work and complete the community service required by the rule

I have attended graduations where other families and their friends have even brought air horns. They usually timed their blowing of their horns to coincide ONLY when their child was recognized. It's fairly freaking easy to do without disrupting some other kid and their families special moment.

"We showed so much Support...That maybe we are about to be escorted out the building..."

Come on people. YELL. Then shut up. It's a graduation, not fake 'professional' wrestling.

 

[jobberone]

And I've been where the entire ceremony was disrupted for much of the time by unruly people. Imagine a movie where 25+ people are talking much of the time and magnify that by ten. I've never seen anything like it.

The ceremony belongs to all the kids and all the families and the vast majority has the right to attend the ceremony under civil conditions.

I'd have the police there and it wouldn't take but a few to get arrested for disorderly conduct for people to get the message. I agree its not a good idea to punish the kids although I'm sympathetic to the school. JMO.