Bonny Eagle High School Student Denied Diploma for Blowing a Kiss

I am military and currently deployed to Iraq and read what happened to Justin Denney. It 100% infuriated me. How in the world can you possibly take what he did as something that shouldnt allow him to graduate? Seriously!

Are you people insane or just plain stupid? He blew a kiss, its not like he brought a gun to school or called in a bomb threat. No wonder kids no a days are doing stuff like that. You make big deals over idiotic stuff. Every last one of you, especially School Superintendent Suzanne Lukas should be fired and people with some damn common sense should be put in your place. You people are pathetic!

These kids are overjoyed with graduating and a little "joking around and playing" should be fine. When I graduated in 1999, there were things we did on graduation day that would curl your toes if you think blowing a kiss is so bad. These kids are normal to want to have some fun. Their lives are just begining and you are setting them down the wrong path by doing what you did to him and the others. These kids learn from you and will remember.

What needs to be done is that someone represting you needs to talk to the media about this and NOT make excuses. Just tell them that you were overreacting and gives these kids their diplomas, they DID earn them, no matter what YOU have to say about it, because apparently they were at the graduation ceremony to graduate.

-SPC Chauvette, Adam

Baghdad, Iraq

Send an email to these fools:

bschultz@sad6.k12.me.us; lnapolitano@sad6.k12.me.us  ; kharrington@sad6.k12.me.us ; mlegage@sad6.k12.me.us ; SLukas@sad6.k12.me.us

http://www.sad6.k12.me.us/behs/Index

Here's some added info to help:

Have you tried conducting  a "dignified" graduation?   Until you can conduct a graduation ceremony with over 400 seniors, who think there are no more consequences for poor behavior and a lack of judgement, then you are qualified to attack those educators. I have done  so for the past 2 years, and it is very difficult.  Parents and the public think that it is supposed to be all fun and games, but it is not. It is supposed to be a very rewarding and gratifying experience to graduate, students who misbehave, make it unfair to ALL parents and other friends and family members to enjoy the ceremony and not loose behavior that they can do at a graduation ceremony. Have you never heard of decorum. Should we bot teach that as well, it is obvious that his mother doesn't understand that. The students have the rest of thier lives to "blow a kiss at his mother," just not on stage. It should be dignified, not a show.  Earning a high school diploma is an accomplishment and the ceremony should show this. His education is not a joke, but your comment seems to suggest that it is. Suggesting to ship to your children to Canada b/c they are ask to behave in front of an audience of possibly 3,000 is outrageous. You could also homeschool and conduct the graduation ceremony anyway you choose.

Finally, the likihood of him not getting his diploma is slim. The diplomas that you see at most ceremonies are fake, just paper. Don't you remember your graduation?  The administrators will allow him his diploma after he serves a consequence, which is fair.  During the  graduation  rehearsals students are told that there will be consequences for poor conduct. Beside, he wouldn't be able to walk if he didn't earn his diploma, credits that is. It is already reflected in his official transcript. That cannot be taken back!

Its amazing that this kind of lunacy exists in the 21st century. This is a typical  "ye who holds no sin, throw the first stone" situation. A student bows, blows a kiss to family, and points at his friends while walking up on stage (a nonexistent infraction), and these are his consequences. Blantantly ridiculous. You know you're on the wrong side of the fence when your high school ends up listed as a top google search. Ask yourself this, in your life, have you ever done anything worse than this poor boy did on his graduation day? If the answer is Yes, promptly and publically apologize to this boy and his family, as well as others at the graduation. If the answer is No, contact your nearest psychiatrist.

I'm amazed when supposedly educated poeple pull something like this off. It shows how easy it is to lose sight of whats important in the world. I'm a physician in New York, and I can't even imagine spending any of my professional time and energy on such a farse. That family deserves a public, televised apology, immediately.

http://www.sad6.k12.me.us/school_board.html

Charlotte Dufresne (Chairperson)
P.O. Box 44
Limington, ME 04085

Seems like the superintendent had a gross over-extension of executive authority caused by an overt failure to properly articulate (or adjust) expectations for students standards of behavior. High school graduates should be allowed to be high school graduates. Unfortunately, now that particular individuals memories of high school graduation will not be positive ones.

oops sorry, here you go

(207) 929-3831 phone

(207) 929-5955 fax

Dear Complaining Bonny Eagle Grads and Parents:

Would you please grow up! You’d think that by the time a young adult is graduated from high school that he/she would know the definition of the word, “NO”. After all, they signed a promissory note outlining appropriate and inappropriate behaviors expected at graduation. Kudos to Superintendent Suzanne Lukas for modeling the fact that inappropriate behaviors have logical and natural consequences.

And isn’t graduation a symbolic celebration of the metamorphosis of shifting from adolescent to adult? I think Bill Gates’ graduation speech a few years back to Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia, CA, would be appropriate to share. Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this speech about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, “politically correct” adults created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world. (How true and so sad.)

Rule 1: Life is not fair - - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.

So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, BUT LIFE HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
This does not bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters.  You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF.  Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life.  In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

-Dr. Jeffrey Barr

FUCK THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT
BULLSHIT
YOUR A FUCKED UP FAGGOTPERSON WHO DID THAT

I am a teacher, and I work with emotionally disturbed students. I will first respond to B. Vigeant: you need to go to you-tube and look up "Taylor Mali" and listen to him talking about what a teacher makes. One thing we do is make a difference. Don't lump all educators into one bag, it just shows ignorance. That would be like saying "all men are jackasses" or "all women are bitches" neither of which sweeping stereotype is true.

Next, for Superintendent Suzanne Lucas, you are seriously corrupt in your power. "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" (John Dalberg-Acton, 1887). You have become inebriated on the power that your superintendency holds. To withhold this young man's diploma for anything less than a crime is a crime in and of itself. If his actions were such that the police could arrest him for public nuisance, then I could see withholding the diploma until another time. However, bowing and blowing a kiss, accompanied by pointing at his friends is NOT a nuisance, rather it is a young man showing the exuberance of graduation. 13 or more years of public education led to this point, to refuse to give the young man his diploma because his actions are not your idea of proper comportment is both silly and sad. You are a dismal representative of your district, your city, your state. You have held all who work with you and for you up for ridicule, with good reason. If you withholding of his diploma causes him to miss out on any college opportunity, or scholarship, you should be held accountable, and should have to give restitution. As it is, you owe this young man and his fellow graduates, their parents, the school, the city, and the state an abject and heartfelt apology. You should be suspended until your actions are reviewed by the school board and the community in which you are supposed to serve. Your inebriated use of power serves you poorly. 

Bravo! I agree with most of your post. The problem is that he wasn't being punished for blowing a kiss.

This kid in not innocent, not at all. He and the rest of his classmates signed a code of ethics. This was an agreement between him, all of his classmates, his school and all the parents of all the students. Blowing a kiss is not what this kid did, the band around his neck was the biggest issues.

The students were explicitly told not to wear these bands, they were not part of the graduation uniform and they were not allowed. He hid it under his graduation gown and while walking to the stage, pulled the band out. This is when he made the gestures that everyone thinks is "so cute". He wasn't blowing kisses, this was an act of defiance, plane and simple. He thought that he was being funny.

His father should be ashamed.

They should fire the dumb bitch for doing that.

Here is her email

slukas@sad6.k12.me.us

Whatever happened to celebrating such a joyous occasion?  When I graduated in 1988, we threw beach balls throughout the entire ceremony, we joyfully grandstanded on stage, and every last one of us slipped the principal a penny as he shook our hands and handed us our diplomas.  We even had a popular guy who took six years to graduate get a standing ovation and a LOT of loud cheering that lasted for a good 30 seconds, which he proudly grandstanded for -- and rightfully so. 

How did the staff react?  They thought it was great.  They laughed and carried on right along with us.  They also paused and gave the sixth-year graduate a standing ovation like everyone else.  Even when one of the balls landed on stage, the principal laughed and threw it right back at us.  This is the way a graduation ceremony should be!!

What is wrong with you people for ever thinking this kind of good clean fun is bad behavior that's grounds for withholding something these kids have spent nearly their entire lives working hard for?  Why would this sort of thing even be included in some "agreement" the students were forced to sign prior to the ceremony?  They weren't doing anything they shouldn't have been doing on one of the happiest days they'll ever have in their lives.  Why rob them of their joy, much less their diplomas for experiencing and sharing their joy?

So what if it takes a bit longer to get through all those diplomas.  As a matter of fact, I'm sure it took more time to stop and lecture every kid they STOLE diplomas from than it did to have the fun in the first place.

You people really need to lighten up already.

Karen,

Thank you for pointing out my typo.  I do not want to attack you or your lack of information on this subject. It saddens me to know that someone like you and quite a few of the other posts would fall into the trap of forming a conclusion based on little knowldge. You do not have all the information on this issues.  They were not making an example out of one kid.

 He was not the only person that was denied their diploma that eve. He and quite a few students were told not to wear "ropes" around their necks. Thee ropes were earned for their accomplishments in xcountry that year not academic achievement. The graduation ceremony is for academic accomplishment. Again, they were clearly told NOT to wear them. Along with this, they signed a paper (Code of Conduct) that clearly pointed out what they could not do during graduation and the possible penalties.This agreement clearly pointed out that they could not wear anything outside of their robes.

He got up, blew his mom a kiss, pulled out the hidden adornment and then pounded his chest. It was clear that he wanted to make a statement. After that he made a few other comments and the rest was history.

Please understand, this was not the only issue by this gentlemen or the group of kids that he was associated with.

If you check the facts, you would find out that the enforced rules where established due to issues from previous graduations? Did you know that the public demanded these rules?

Here is a link to the code of conduct that they signed. He violated multiple points. http://strategerie.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/the-bonny-eagle-high-school-graduation-code-of-conduct/

That is messed up!!! I would be so pissed if that happened. Let the boy have his diploma you jerks!! take your head out of your asses and do whats right!!

I emailed the superintendent, i think that what she did was unfair.  I graduated 2002 and my classmates fricken cheered to all of us because we were sooo happy to have made it through.  *laughs* And the school system is wondering what is wrong with our students, because people with attitudes like hers causes students to not want to bother, they figure "hell I'm being punished for doing something right, why should I bother then?"  If I was Justin I would have stood there and when she told me to sit down I would have said  "no, i earned my diploma, you can't refuse me because I was showing happiness to my family" And when they tried to arrest me I would sue, hell I would sue now.  All those years if schooling only to get refused?  I am sorry but that is BS of her to do such a thing.  I say give him his diploma, he earned it, he deserves it, and he should get it.

What the hell is wrong with that egotistical, narrow-minded so called superintendent? Sounds to me like she is jealous because the student didn't blow her a kiss!!! Now, I see why...I believe the family should file a law-suit then demand this cold hearted envious superintendent personally present this boy with his diploma on national television so all the world can see, in front of the White House with the Obama family standing beside the student then let Michelle loose on her.

I know the Obamas are real sticklers on education, wonder how they feel about what this woman did to the student!!!!!!!!!!

Just my  personal opinion.......who's with me on this?????

You people seriously need to get a grip. The kids were warned several times not to create any kind of disturbances. They were to walk up and receive their diploma and walk back to their seat. What he did has no bearing on the fact that he was told not to. It's no different then telling your kids to knock it off when they are in the back seat of a car yelling "he's touching me". It isn't the "touch" that is in question but the fact you were just told not to.

If this kid felt that strongly that he should blow a kiss to his mother then he should be prepared to face the consequences of directly defying the school official. He practiced civil disobedience and was punished accordingly. He picked up his diploma from the school at a later time. The only thing he was denied was participating in the ceremony because he couldn't follow some pretty simple rules set down in front of him. At his age I think the ability to constrain themselves during a ceremony should be in place. 

The sad part is kids today have complete disregard for authority because eveytime they are punished someone blogs about it and a huge outcry blasts across the net. I have even seen idiots suggesting he sue the school. Yeah there is a good idea lets bankrupt an institution of learning because some moron felt he was above listening to direction. Reading the responses to this makes me weep for this Country's future.

I want to apologize for the statement, "His father should be ashamed.". It was wrong and uncalled for.

His father should be proud of his graduation and any other accomplishments.

I am most angry at the news not reporting the entire story and all these people jumping to a conclusion while not knowing the facts. Rules were broken, people were spoken to. The situation got way out of hand and now we have a lot of people upset. This does not change my position.

Maine is a lot better then this. Lets find a solution to this and work on making sure this kid has a job when he tries to get one.

To ruin one of the most important and cherished moment of the young man's life, and that of his mother, because he blew her a kiss of thanks on receiving his diploma, is despicable.  Shame on all of you.  Give this young man the diploma he worked for and so richly deserves and let him get on with his life.  Talk about control freaks...what gives you the right to do what you did?  The person who did this should be suspended.

What is wrong with your head?  A young man who blew a kiss to mom should have been commended not condemend.  I believe it is this kind of action from adults that is a good deal of the problem with kids today.  Hope this comes up and bites you big time..

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.  I have no words for how ridiculous this is.  Correct me if I am mistaken, but doesn't this country have about 2,136,573 +  more pressing concerns than if a kid blew a kiss to his Mother ??  Shame on you Bonny Eagle High School.  You took the greatest experience of this young mans life-to-date and turned it into a pissing contest.  Remind me again how we are the greatest country in the world !!!

I'm betting you didn't graduate . . . if you did, your language arts and social skills teachers need to rescind your passing grades.  In fact, I'm betting you spent a lot of time in trouble  for failure to express yourself in a manner that would make people really listen to what you have to say.  Expand your vocabulary with more appropriate, multisyllablic words.  After all, do you just want to vent old anger, or would you really like to have your opinion heard?

You know the school boards across the country are getting alot on the pathetic side. I have 3 sons, my oldest is 15 yrs old, his acadimics are outstanding he will graduate college with a associates degree, and all the hard work that goes into this could all be taken away if he blows a kiss to me and my husband that is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard. This Luka woman needs her head examined. The goverment says we have to send our kids to school until they are old enough to drop out or graduate, the drop out rate in america is higher than it has ever been. Justin Denney finished and this woman violated him and offened and outraged the entire country, yet she still has a job. America has gone from one extreme to the other. My middle child was nearly expelled from kindergarten because he kissed a little girl on the check after she kissed him on the cheech.  What the Hell people lets get real and back to reality.

GIVE JUSTIN DENNEY  HIS DIPLOMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND COME BACK TO EARTH WITH SOME COMMON SENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sixty years old and I hate adults.  They either forget they were kids once or they were the most boring or dullest kids ever.  Lighten up! 

SUZANNE B LUKAS
180 WESTERN AVE
KENNEBUNK, ME 04043
(207) 967-2890

Not so fast. First, he got his diploma, but not at the ceremony. Don't be so dumb as to think the liberal media or the mother is giving you the whole story. I was there for my daughter's graduation. It was held at the Cumberland County Civic Center. They only had the arena for a certain time period. Therefore, a code of conduct was required, to insure the ceremony was not disrupted. Every student was REQUIRED to agree. Two students were dishonest, and disrupted the ceremony anyway. This student did more than his mother reported to the hack journalists who never bothered to investigate. For example, he also made his own homemade ACADEMIC CORDS, presented to honor students, in an attempt to indicated that he was an honor student, which he was not. The teachers warned him in advance NOT to wear or display them, but he hid them under his gown, then pulled them out and flailed them around, anyway. The student violated his agreement of conduct, and also ignored warnings not to display or wear phony academic cords. Now, for those who still think this sort of behavior is acceptable, note that if each of the 287 students had stolen 30 seconds to screw off during the ceremoney, the two hour ceremony would have been 4.5 hours. The school did not have the arena for that long, and the parents cannot be expected to endure that just so idiots can clown around. The ceremony is supposed to be protocol. the celebration is supposed to come afterward. Imagine some clown disrupting your wedding ceremony just because he is selfish and cannot wait for the reception.

I am relived to see I am not the only one with common sense that read this article. I know it's easy to get swept up in the media outrage. I mean in a typical year 20-50,000 people die from the Flu in the US. So far swine flu deaths equal 45. but for 2 weeks straight it was on every news station with their typical doom and gloom, give you half the facts so the story sounds interesting fashion.

This is a school sponsored event. The school has every right to outline rules and behavior for their events. Where do we draw the line? Is dress code a silly rule?, chewing gum in classes?, kissing your significant other in the hallway?

These kids were sat in a meeting and the rules and consequences were outlined and they signed the agreement. This kid chose to not honor that agreement and was not allowed to participate in the ceremony. Is society that ready to champion a kid that has done nothing other then dishonor an agreement he made? No matter how silly or ridiculous you may think the rule to be, there is a time and a place to address that. 

If every kid spent an extra 15 seconds horsing around that extends the ceremony by an hour and a half. What happens if the all the kids clown around and say the last 40 kids or so don't even get a chance to walk up and receive their recognition? You would have 40 law suits and parent screaming the school did nothing to police the kids ect ect. This society seems to revel in hanging themselves with their own logic. I think George Carlin said it best when he talked about NIMBY (Not In My BackYard)

These kids are entering a stage in their life where they will have to acclimate  to a life much more harsh and strict then they are used to. Places that only had guidelines and rules that might land them a detention are now laws that will land them in jail. Now is not the time to teach these kids they can disregard any restriction put on them that they feel is silly or unimportant.