A Very Costly Kiss: Senior Denied Diploma

[PegLeg45]

And the "Asshat of the Day" award goes to..........


http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92681?fp=1


A Very Costly Kiss: Senior Denied Diploma
by Mike Krumboltz

For teens, there is no greater joy than graduating high school. Shaking off the shackles of education and claiming that hard-fought diploma is truly an epic day. Unfortunately, for several students at Bonny Eagle High School in Maine, their natural exuberance has led to some surprisingly serious problems.

On Friday night, when the senior class was waiting to graduate, excitement began to grow. Students bounced a large inflatable rubber duck. The noise level rose. And then came "the kiss." When called, one student walked on stage to receive his diploma and blew a kiss to his family. The school administrator, clearly not the sentimental sort, sent the student back to his seat ... sans diploma.

The seemingly harsh punishment has sent the Web all aflutter. Searches on "student denied diploma" and "bonny eagle high school" are both through the roof. Additionally, blogs and news papers are chiming in with opinions on whether or not the administration overreacted. The student's mother has given interviews and is quite upset at her son's treatment. According to an article from Fox News the outraged mother said, "A bow, a kiss to your mom is not misbehavior."

But the administrators feel they were just enforcing the rules that students agreed to. At a meeting following the debacle, school superintendent Suzanne Lukas said that "if a student doesn't adhere to the expectations, then the consequences are clearly spelled out."

This isn't the first time that rambunctious (dare we say "fun"?) behavior affected a graduation ceremony at Bonny Eagle. "Four years ago we had some issues with silly string and beach balls," said Lukas.

[Hazcat]

Typical "Zero Intelligence" policy BS.

[blackwolfe]

I have seen some graduation ceremonies celebrations get out of hand.  There were streakers at my HS graduation.  This seems tame and I think the administrator went over board for this kid acknowledging and honoring his family with a blown kiss.  As time passes, what will be remembered is the administrator withholding the diploma.  Had he just let it go, the kiss would be largly forgotten by most there.

As a side note I believe the law in Michigan states that once a student earns the credits necessary for graduation the school cannot withhold a diploma.  At least that's what it was many years ago when some seniors set off a pipe bomb in the school at the end of the year.  They were in legal trouple, but as much as people in the community thought they should not receive their diplomas the school said legally they couldn't withold it.  You can stop them from graduation ceremonies though.  

[Texas_Bryan]

After attending one of the little brothers graduation the other day, I can say that I'd agree with the administrator.  Reading the article from another source, they described the student as not only blowing a kiss, but holding up the event with other disruptive behavior.  Not like he doesn't get his high school diploma, he just didn't get to walk.  Kids need to cut the crap and get with the program, learn to control yourself in public life ain't just one big game.  For some students that's as far as they'll go and its a big day for them and their families not some party.

[tombogan03884]

This was in Sanford Me, next town over from where I used to live, Just goes to prove there are a lot of ass hats in Me., Look at Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

[Sponsor]

[JC5123]

After attending one of the little brothers graduation the other day, I can say that I'd agree with the administrator.  Reading the article from another source, they described the student as not only blowing a kiss, but holding up the event with other disruptive behavior.  Not like he doesn't get his high school diploma, he just didn't get to walk. Kids need to cut the crap and get with the program, learn to control yourself in public life ain't just one big game. For some students that's as far as they'll go and its a big day for them and their families not some party.

Yes, it is. And guess what, there are winners and losers. And not everybody gets a place at the "adult" table. And if the screwell systems were teaching these principles about the realities of life, we'd probably see a lot less of this kind of behavior! Personally, I think graduation is an appropriate place for subdued celebration, but we have seen what bureau bone heads school administrators have become. 

You're right it is a big day. These kids have put 18 years of their lives in to get there. Let them be excited about the achievement    and have some much deserved fun after working so hard.

[brosometal]

School Admin's are about as useless as a certain body part on bulls (sorry ladies).  They consume more $$$ and educate less.  Most educational systems are top heavy with people who couldn't teach so they were told to tell others to teach.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have a particular bone to pick.  My mom has been a teacher in both private and government schools and has had to interact with said asshats on a regular basis.  Along with that, I had a run in my junior year with the same folks as did my sister 6 years later.  I was suspended for 5 days for an incident that happened off campus and had my academic record tarnished because of ignorant policies.  My sister was suspended for dyeing her hair.  It was deemed a "distraction".  Now mind you, at the same time an athlete wrecked a stolen a car while he was been chased by the authorities.  As you can probably surmise, he had no issues other that the legal ones.

Admin and asshat both start with "A".  Coincidence? I think not.

[Rastus]

We all know that if the student (he) had been blowing a kiss to another he, there would be no foul.  As the somewhat pissy Brosometal (still sore about that, eh buddy?) has said, school admins are as useless as....  They don't want parents exercising any control over students that THEY want to control.

[blackwolfe]

School Admin's are about as useless as a certain body part on bulls (sorry ladies).  They consume more $$$ and educate less.  Most educational systems are top heavy with people who couldn't teach so they were told to tell others to teach.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have a particular bone to pick.  My mom has been a teacher in both private and government schools and has had to interact with said asshats on a regular basis.  Along with that, I had a run in my junior year with the same folks as did my sister 6 years later.  I was suspended for 5 days for an incident that happened off campus and had my academic record tarnished because of ignorant policies.  My sister was suspended for dyeing her hair.  It was deemed a "distraction".  Now mind you, at the same time an athlete wrecked a stolen a car while he was been chased by the authorities.  As you can probably surmise, he had no issues other that the legal ones.

Admin and asshat both start with "A".  Coincidence? I think not.

Not sure what your incident was but my local school system does have some discipline rules for off campus, off hours behavior.  If arrested, or caught for drugs or alcohol you are suspended from extra ciricular activities such as sports, cheerleading, band etc.  I believe it is at a minumum for the rest of that quarter.  There have been some star players suspended.  One dumb jock got suspended several times so his parents got him an apparment in the neighboring school distict and he messed up there also.  The one time I didn't think this was a "fair" policy was when a report got back to the school about a teen party with alcohol.  Some how the school ended up with a list of names and little other proof.  When they talked to the kids, those that admitted to it were suspended from their activities and those that lied and said they were not drinking got off.

Things sure are different from when I was in school.  Back then jocks and the rich kids got away with everything.  Nowadays sometimes I don't think we let kids be kids enough.   

[Teresa Heilevang]

After attending one of the little brothers graduation the other day, I can say that I'd agree with the administrator.  Reading the article from another source, they described the student as not only blowing a kiss, but holding up the event with other disruptive behavior.  Not like he doesn't get his high school diploma, he just didn't get to walk.

I call a big BS!
 I don't see any thing here that warrants what the bitch administrator did to him.. There is so much outrage on this that  their servers have crashed.

I think that O-dumbo would be proud. His socialistic people's regime has started! Man  this pisses me straight off! If I was that mom , I would have wanted to smack her good!!




Bonny Eagle High School
700 Saco Road
Standish, ME 04084
207 - 929 - 3840
Principal, Beth Schultz
bschultz@sad6.k12.me.us

Assistant Principal,
Lori Napolitano
lnapolitano@sad6.k12.me.us

Assistant Principal,
Kevin Harrington
kharrington@sad6.k12.me.us

Assistant Principal/
Activities Director,
Mike LeGage
mlegage@sad6.k12.me.us

Central Office
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 38, Bar Mills, ME 04004
Address: 100 Main Street Buxton, Maine 04093 929-3831
642-2480
Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Lukas,
suzanne_lukas@sad6.k12.me.us 929-9108
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Carol Weeks,
carol_weeks@sad6.k12.me.us 929-9101
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Rick Matthews,
rick_matthews@sad6.k12.me.us 929-9146

all numbers are 207 area code.

I'm going to let them know what I think of their stupidity.