Diploma Denied To Student Who Bowed, Blew Kiss To Family

ABC 8 WMTW ^ | 6-15-09

[rawhide]

Justin Denney's family watched on as he ascended the Cumberland County Civic Center stage during graduation Friday night to accept his diploma, but the superintendent told him to return to his seat

Mary Denney said she can't believe how her son's taking a bow and blowing a kiss on stage was grounds for the superintendent to withhold his diploma.

"I'm like, 'Did she not hand him his diploma?' I'm like, 'What's going on?'" Mary Denney said.

She said she and Justin both signed a code of conduct regarding the graduation when she picked up graduation tickets on Friday, she doesn't think he violated it.

"There was no misbehavior. Showboating is not misbehavior," Mary Denney said. "A bow, a kiss to your mom is not misbehavior. There was no need of my son not getting his diploma."

Before the school began handing out diplomas, some students pulled out beach balls.

While in his seat or waiting in line for his diploma, Justin Denney never touched a beach ball. After his name was called, he took a bow, blew a kiss to his family and pointed to friends, but he didn't get his diploma, leaving a whole family in disbelief.

"I said, 'What did she ask you?' And, he goes, 'She said, 'There's no fooling around up here,'' and he just kind of looked at her because he wasn't fooling around. He didn't consider that fooling around or misbehaving in any sense of the word, and she goes, 'Why do you feel you deserve your diploma?' He goes, 'Because I worked hard and I earned it,' and she goes, 'No go take your seat,'" Mary Denney said.

The crowd booed, but Justin Denney still doesn't have his diploma. Now, his mother wants her son to get what he's worked so hard for.

[freekitty]

I just think the kid was happy.

[drangundsturm]

If he did the Obama-Michelle fist-bump he would have probably gotten an honorary PhD.

[steveo]

I bet if he came out in pink hot pants waving a rainbow flag, the superintendent would have had no problem with him.

[Dionysius]

You can “showboat” all you want — you just have to take the consequences for breaking the rules. That would be the manly thing. Mama didn’t raise this kid worth a damn.

[SaraJohnson]

Zero tolerance for public school officials with zero brains.

[Fast Moving Angel]

Agreed. I got out a semester early because of sufficient credits and I had no intention of going to the “ceremony”. Never got the piece of paper. I heard they had a streaker there, though :-)

[Oldpuppymax]

Yes he’s probably a horses a$$, but a lot of us were in high school. The school can’t deny him his diploma. The principal is evidently as big an a$$ as the kid!

[theDentist]

Now, his mother wants her son to get what he's worked so hard for.

A silk robe, a hangover, and qualifications to work for McDonalds?

[gaijin]

The generation that as young people asked that their EVERY instance of show-boating (drugs, nudity, promiscuity, draft—dodging) be tolerated now cannot tolerate a SINGLE instance of show-boating —blowing a kiss.

When you’re kind to the cruel, the next step is being cruel to the kind.

[Sir Gawain]

I would’ve punched her.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Except he didn't use his head. Get the diploma in hand first. At my high school graduation I heard a rumor that our school was going to give us empty diploma covers and give us our diplomas afterward to make sure we behaved at the ceremony. So I opened mine up just after after getting it, held it over my head and pointed to it. Didn’t even look till later to see that my diploma was indeed in the cover. Got massive cheers anyway.

[MEGoody]

Oh, good grief. The kid bowed and blew a kiss to his mom. How terrible.

[MEGoody]

Besides, they signed an agreement

The mother acknowledges that and does not believe what her son did was a violation of the agreement. So unless you can produce a copy of the agreement that states what her son did was a violation, then you are the dunce for jumping to conclusions.

[frithguild]

Mama didn’t raise this kid worth a damn.

"There was no misbehavior. Showboating is not misbehavior," Mary Denney said.

Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

[Krodg]

I watched the video and all I saw was a kid trying to recognize people who had helped him get there. He was punished for others bad behavior.

[Isabel C.]

"I'm like, 'Did she not hand him his diploma?' I'm like, 'What's going on?'" Mary Denney said.

"I'm like, I'm like, I'm like". With the way she speaks, perhaps Mary Denney should take a remedial course in conversational English.

[Isabel C.]

I would’ve punched her.

And then you would've been arrested.

[Sir Gawain]

Not if I did it later.

[el_chupacabra]

I pulled a stupid showboating stunt during my HS graduation 25 years ago. I never got my diploma. Boo Hoo. Life went on. Somehow I survived without filing a lawsuit or crying to the newspapers.

[Mamzelle]

Well, I have to say that high school graduations are becoming increasingly undignified. I recently attended one where the audience managed to "withhold applause" throughout the proceedings, and it was much improved over other graduations.

You don't want an applause competition, or American Grad Idol.

I don't know what to say, except that it must be frustrating to principals trying to conduct a meaningful ceremony and not a popularity or "Comedy Central" contest.