fair or unfair??

[Michiganbowhunter_SQ2]

Ill. students lose diplomas over cheers

By JAN DENNIS, Associated Press Writer

Caisha Gayles graduated with honors last month, but she is still waiting for her diploma. The reason: the whoops of joy from the audience as she crossed the stage.

Gayles was one of five students denied diplomas from the lone public high school in Galesburg after enthusiastic friends or family members cheered for them during commencement.

About a month before the May 27 ceremony, Galesburg High students and their parents had to sign a contract promising to act in dignified way. Violators were warned they could be denied their diplomas and barred from the after-graduation party.

Many schools across the country ask spectators to hold applause and cheers until the end of graduation. But few of them enforce the policy with what some in Galesburg say are strong-arm tactics.

"It was like one of the worst days of my life," said Gayles, who had a 3.4 grade-point average and officially graduated, but does not have the keepsake diploma to hang on her wall. "You walk across the stage and then you can't get your diploma because of other people cheering for you. It was devastating, actually."

School officials in Galesburg, a working-class town of 34,000 that is still reeling from the 2004 shutdown of a 1,600-employee refrigerator factory, said the get-tough policy followed a 2005 commencement where hoots, hollers and even air horns drowned out much of the ceremony and nearly touched off fights in the audience when the unruly were asked to quiet down.

"Lots of parents complained that they could not hear their own child's name called," said Joel Estes, Galesburg's assistant superintendent. "And I think that led us to saying we have to do something about this to restore some dignity and honor to the ceremony so that everyone can appreciate it and enjoy it."

In Indianapolis, public school officials this year started kicking out parents and relatives who cheer. At one school, the superintendent interrupted last month's graduation to order police to remove a woman from the gymnasium.

"It's an important, solemn occasion. There's plenty of time for celebration before and after," said Clarke Campbell, president of the Indianapolis school board.

In Galesburg, the issue has taken on added controversy with accusations that the students were targeted because of their race: four are black and one is Hispanic. Parents say cheers also erupted for white students, and none of them was denied a diploma.

Principal Tom Chiles said administrators who monitored the more than 2,000-seat auditorium reported only disruptions they considered "significant," and all turned in the same five names.

"Race had absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever," Chiles said. "It is the amount of disruption at the time of the incident."

School officials said they will hear students and parents out if they appeal. Meanwhile, the school said the five students can still get their diplomas by completing eight hours of public service work, answering phones, sorting books or doing other chores for the district, situated about 150 miles southwest of Chicago.

Gayles' mother said she plans to fight the school board — in court if necessary — to get her daughter's diploma. The noise "was like three seconds. It was like, `Yay,' and that was it," Carolyn Gayles said.

American Civil Liberties Union spokesman Edward Yohnka said Galesburg's policy raises no red flags as long as it is enforced equitably. "It's probably well within the school's ability to control the decorum at an event like this," he said.

Another student who was denied her diploma, Nadia Trent, said she will probably let the school keep it if her appeals fail.

"It's not fair. Somebody could not like me and just decide to yell to get me in trouble. I can't control everyone, just the ones I gave tickets to," Trent said.

[mrswtnhunt]

I think it is totally unfair for the school to hold their diploma's. I understand what the school was trying to do by keeping noise to a minimum, but I think that they took it a little too far by holding what the students worked so hard for. I tend to agree with the last student Nadia Trent in what she said about "I can't control everyone", what if it wasn't that students family or friends. It could easily happen. Anyway, my vote is...UNFAIR!!!

[ZooBear]

Unfair.

[mehunter]

That is wrong.

[JimT]

Thats stupid.... I bet they sue the school...and the school loses, as it should.

[Michiganbowhunter_SQ2]

i forgot to post my thoughts

I to think it is unfair...yeah they had them sign contracts or whatever, but this is the biggest day in these kids lives up to this point, and to ask for their parents NOT to get excited is rediculous. how is it the kids fault?? they aren't the ones yelling, why should they be punished?

[craig mack]

Thats unfair. I understand what the school was trying to do, but they're only hurting the students.

[Guest Finn]

one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

The schools really have better things to be concerned with.

[LifeNRA]

About a month before the May 27 ceremony, Galesburg High students and their parents had to sign a contract promising to act in dignified way. Violators were warned they could be denied their diplomas and barred from the after-graduation party.

While I dont think its fair to a degree. Other parents want to hear their kids names being called! People signed an agreement! They should have acted accordingly!

Just last week my daughter out of her second grade was picked for first place for a speech she made in front of the entire school! Other parents were screaming, whisling, barking like dogs when their kid finished! What ever happen to just clapping??? Maybe its a race thing, barking like dogs? It was just not proper in my mind. My parents were there too and thought the same thing!

Bottom line was this, the school wanted to wait until the last name was read! Then you could have made all the noise you wanted! But noooooooooooooooooo, some parents made noise and screwed it all up! Got to wonder why even PARENTS cant follow rules, not a great example for the rest of the kids there! But then again, that is whats wrong with some kids today.

[Hoyt03]

Very unfair, why can't they simply wait until the cheering stops before calling the next name.

[LifeNRA]

Very unfair, why can't they simply wait until the cheering stops before calling the next name.

Imagine 300 kids waiting to get their diploma? Guess how long everything would take! In 1981, they asked the parents to do the same thing at my school! Funny thing, the parents did! They waited until the last name was called, we had over 200 kids that day getting their diploma's.

[elkoholic]

Unfair. Punishing someone for something they did not do is wrong. On the other hand, they did sign a contract. I guess civility is a thing of the past. Now, if they could have pinpointed the culprits and had them arrested for disorderly conduct or have them donate to the general school fund, that is a more appropriate punishment. Better yet, make them wear bark collars which can be automatically shut off after the last name is read.

[stevebeilgard]

unfair. but so is life itself. being punished for the actions of others, even if it's family, is just wrong.

[need2hunt]

It is unfair and should be fought IMO. Your taking tha accomplishments of someones hard work over a four year period of time and trumping it for 5 seconds of someone's (other than the person that did the work) actions.

It would be interesting to read the contract they had to sign, to find out how exactly "act in a dignified way" is defined. Also the article says that the "violators" were warned they could be denied their diplomas, if the student acted dignified then they didn't violate anything, if there parents did then try to take the parents diplomas LOL. Sounds like the event was a far cry from air horns and fights breaking out in the crowd. Also find it interesting that the race card is being played in this, would be great to review a video of the event to see if the white parents are getting a free pass or if the minority parents were over the line - even though in the end it doesn't matter, the only person being hurt is the student that worked so hard to get to that point in their life.

[BowJoe]

I know this is going to sound extremely unfair and way out there but why don't the kids just do the one day of work (Yeah right) and get it over with. That's what's wrong with today's kids. They take no responsibility, even if they weren't directly responsible, and spend more time fighting against rules than they would have to if they just obeyed them. People claim racism and prejudice everywhere I turn but nowadays if you look at what is being called racism then you'll more than likely find the excuses for doing what they do. Do we make excuses and separate people by saying that white people are just better reserved? Or do we call the big pink elephant in the room what it really is and say that some members of races are much more vocal than members of the white race? Now I know that using the phrase "white race" is going to send up red flags that I'm prejudice but so what. I am. And so is every human being on this planet. Prejudice simply means to prejudge. It got turned around as a hate word by the infamous JJ. Neither I nor any black coworker I know would go walking into East St. Louis at night with a pocket full of cash, new kicks and an iPod loaded with Quiet Riot and 1980's hair bands. It just won't happen. Thinking about an action before you do it is prejudging and everybody does that for their own safety and others. You live and die by the rules of life and if this is their start then I worry about those kids and mine. I will defend my daughter to the bitter end if I think she's right but I will also take the consequenses when I'm wrong. If I did that then I'd ask the superintendant to let me serve the community service since I was the one that cost her a copy of her diploma. That shows gumption and sets and example to my child as well. They need to stop complaining and be adults instead of proving stereotypes. SO let's cut out all the fair and unfair because as we all know, "Fair's where you buy a quilt and a homade pie."

[bowin_in_illinois]

yeah...I think punishing the student for the actions of others is ridiculous. What would stop an "instigator" from cheering for someone they don't like just so the student gets punished. I understand the reason for the rule...but the punishment they enacted is unfair to the student.

[wtnhunt]

Friday Fox news ran an interview with the girl. It was totally wrong in my opinion. Really a shame that any school administrator would resort to such trivial nonsense.

The person or persons who cheered were not even this girls family. In the interview, the girl and here mother said that her intentions were to just do the community service and comply to get her diploma and that they had no intentions of filing a suit.