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Cheers at high school graduation lead to arrest warrants for Mississippi family.
Several people who cheered for family members at a recent high school graduation ceremony are now facing charges for “disturbing the peace.”
Senatobia High School Superintendent Jay Foster asked the audience to save applause for the end the ceremony, according to CBS affiliate WREG. He also informed them that those who didn’t comply would be escorted off the premises.
Four attendees cheered for their loved ones and were promptly removed from the ceremony. One week later, they were served with warrants for their arrest and may have to post a $500 bond to stay out of jail.
One of those asked to leave was Henry Walker, who waved a towel and yelled “You did it baby” as his daughter walked across the stage.
“When she went across the stage I just called her name out. ‘Lakaydra’. Just like that,” Ursula Miller told WREG.
“It’s crazy,” Walker told WREG. “The fact that I might have to bond out of jail, pay court costs, or a $500 fine for expressing my love, it’s ridiculous man. It’s ridiculous.”
“Okay,” Miller said. “I can understand they can escort me out of the graduation, but to say they going to put me in jail for it. What else are they allowed to do?”
“Why assign papers on someone? We don’t have money for anything like that,” Walker’s wife Linda said.
Superintendent Foster, however, said that the charges were far from ridiculous, telling WREG that he’s determined to have order at graduation ceremonies.
It’s not strange for these families to be cheering for their relatives, considering that High School graduation is a significant accomplishment for black students in Mississippi. Only 51% of black males in Mississippi have graduated from high school, according to ThinkProgress.
The families told WREG that they should not have to go to court just for supporting their loved ones.
The four people charged are scheduled to appear in court on Monday, June 9.
Agencies/Canadajournal
I attended my nieces high school graduation last week. She was the class president and gave an inspiration speech.
During that speech I had to lean over to the lady sitting in front of me and ask her if she could please be quiet while she was on the phone so I could here my nieces speech.
The principal made a request to the audience to please hold their applause until after all graduates names were called.
It was like a bunch of wild animals were in the stands screaming, banging their feet on the floor and just being obnoxious.
My 8 year old granddaughter covered her ears the entire time because of the noise and finally asked her mom if they could leave.
She asked me why they weren’t respecting the other parents by being quiet.
Earlier in the day my husband and I attend his 84 year old uncles military funeral. Now that was dignified and honorable. Thank God.
PLEASE! This is the most ridiculous charge ever. Go parents.
What about, these kids are beginning life learning how to disrespect authority from their parents. The request for quietness was not made, just because. I would guess that it was made so that all parents would have the opportunity to hear their child’s name.
Just think, suppose some unruly teens and parents booed when they heard someone’s name they didn’t like. Wouldn’t they be arrested for disturbing the peace?
I graduated from a major university in Ohio were graduation ceremonies was a celebration in it own right. When student walks across that stage to receive a diploma it is an outstanding accomplishment! A celebration of this kind is not disrespect – it is an act of joy! A graduation ceremony is not a funeral. This was simply an act of control by Superintendent Jay Foster that over reacted to simple situation that would have passed if handled correctly.