Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Bonny Eagle High School Student Denied Diploma for Blowing a Kiss
Share:
by Jarrett Martineau | June 16, 2009 at 09:52 am
97691 views | 51 Recommendations | 792 comments
Justin Denney, a student at Bonny Eagle High School student in Maine, was denied his diploma at a graduation ceremony on June 12th, for "fooling around" after his name was called.
His alleged infraction? Denney simply took a bow, blew a kiss to his family, and pointed to his friends as he got up on stage to receive his high school diploma.
The school's Superintendent Suzanne Lukas ordered Justin Denney to return to his seat and then refused him his diploma to graduate.
Both Denney and his mother Mary Denney are livid — and refuse to accept the school's claim that Denney misbehaved.
Justin Denney was graduating from Bonny Eagle High School June 12 and had gotten up on stage to receive his diploma when he gestured to his friends and relatives.
School Superintendent Suzanne Lukas abruptly told Denney to return to his seat, according to WMTW TV in Maine. He didn't get his diploma.
His mother, Mary Denney, is livid. Her son told her that the superintendent warned, "There's no fooling around up here."
"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," Mary Denney told WMTW.
Lukas reportedly asked the soon-to-be graduate why he thought he deserved a diploma.
"He goes, 'Because I worked hard and I earned it,' and she goes, 'No, go take your seat,'" his mother told the station.
Other students also walked away empty-handed because of various disruptions during the ceremony. Some started playing with beach balls and others were separated from their friends, according to WMTW.
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Most Recommended Comment
LindaBan (not verified)
Crowd Power
Recommendations (51)
patgarcia
La Paz, Mexico
albertacowpoke
Canada
René
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
jazzyzazzy
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Paschen
Narita, Chiba, Japan
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (792)
at 19:34 on June 21st, 2009
I was at the graduation and before the whole blowing of the kiss happened by justin my best friend got pulled off of the stage by the school "officer" and principal for being accused of having beach balls. they would not let him back on stage. An 18 year old boy and his mother were both crying and they still made him take his cap and gown off and leave the building. It was the most infuriating and sad thing to watch. i just wanted to go on stage and stop everything. its not just the superintendent its the whole friggin school administators that need to get the sticks pulled out of their asses
at 13:34 on June 16th, 2009
Email the school board members of SAD 6 and tell them. The super won't do anything now.
at 17:22 on June 16th, 2009
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..
at 18:39 on June 16th, 2009
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.
at 18:42 on June 16th, 2009
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.
at 06:49 on June 17th, 2009
This is an outrage! When I read the head lines I expected to hear that a male student in his excitement gave a female teacher a kiss when he got his diploma. Even this is not severe enough to send him back to his seat without his diploma. But to blow a kiss to his family! If my daughter thought of me during the excitement of graduation and blew me a kiss I would be such a proud mother! The only ones who should be ashamed of their behavior is the school administration.
Even if they give him his diploma now they can never give him back his High School Graduation Day, this boy and his entire family were denied the pride of walking across the stage diploma in hand.
at 21:49 on June 25th, 2009
is this the address of the woman that turned him down for his diploma?
at 17:16 on June 16th, 2009
I find this extremely unfair. I also think that Lukas is being extremely retarded, or otherwise has an extremely harsh/bad judgement over what is considered 'fooling around'. Honestly, in my school, someone pulled the fire alarm by accident and he didn't even get in trouble.
at 17:38 on June 16th, 2009
I think when Ms.Lukas comes to receive her pay check someone should tell her to go sit down and not give it to her. She made this school look disgraceful.
at 20:37 on June 16th, 2009
haha they should ask her why does she think she deserves her paycheck and when she responds that she worked hard for it and earned it they should tell her no and to leave the office. i hope she realizes that karma's a bitch and will come right back at her.
at 21:26 on June 16th, 2009
I agree with you I think this is just wrong he did not do anything wrong. I would be proud of my son he was just showing his mom he loved her and saying thank you for all she did. He worked hard and earned his diploma she needs to be terminated.The question is what can we do about it to make sure he gets his diploma we should all come together some how please email me if you have any ideas.It is to bad we can not change the bad memories he will have now. Medic1emt2@yahoo.com
at 01:11 on June 17th, 2009
I agree Lindaban....100%
at 05:20 on June 17th, 2009
I agree 100% with LindaBan. She not only made this school look disgraceful . . . she ruined a special day for a kid who worked very hard for many years to get that diploma.
at 17:18 on June 16th, 2009
these guys r all idiats! he was just showing he was liberated from the educational system! I mean blowing a kiss in high school is like a kindergardner waveing to mommy or daddy on "moving up day"!!!! Don't worry Justin, its one against thousands of people on the internet!!!!
at 22:27 on June 16th, 2009
Did you graduate from high school yourself? I agree with your opinion but you can't spell very well.
at 23:31 on June 16th, 2009
Did you really feel the need to comment on this person's spelling? Really? As if that has anything to do with anything. You could have at least been somewhat tactful in correcting them, but instead you chose to be rude, which ultimately makes you look stupid yourself. Who's the idiot here???? Hmmm.
at 08:20 on June 17th, 2009
I agree...did you really have to make a rude comment. That just put you in same category as the principal and teachers of the Maine high school that have no common sense or heart for other humans.
at 00:21 on June 17th, 2009
You have the nerve to insult someone for not being able to spell well, yet you call yourself "Teachy"? What a moron!
at 17:20 on June 16th, 2009
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!!
at 17:21 on June 16th, 2009
I think these people are trying to impose their up tight attitude onto our children, one way or another. They were graduating from high school for goodness sake, not Harvard.
Very sad that a child cannot show emotions about their accomplishment. I would contact the state governor, go on strike, or even file a suit against the school board.
There's no kidding around when it comes to our children's future and some tight ass superintendent. He must be bitter about his life but that's really not our prob1em.
at 17:22 on June 16th, 2009
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.
at 21:30 on June 16th, 2009
Very well put and I totally agree. I vote for the suspension of the person who took this young mans glory away from him and his family. We all know how hard it is to get through to graduation with just being a teenager and dealing with life changes.
at 17:22 on June 16th, 2009
What is wrong with School Superintendants these days when a young man can't bow and blow a kiss to his mother? How many adult football players do you see on network TV yelling, "HI MOM!" No one seems to think anything of that.
This boy earned his diploma and for some kids that is a real accomplishment. What is this showing our young people? Yes, there needs to be rules but not every rule can be so black or white. Give this boy a break, he deserves it. Makes me think of the end of the movie, "Patch Adams". If you've not seen it, when he receives his diploma from medical school and walks off the stage, the back of his gown is cut away and he is mooning everyone. Silly, yes, crude, yes but he earned his diploma fair and square.
I'd be threatening a lawsuit and if it didn't come to that, then I'd tell the Superintendent that she needed to come to my home and deliver my son's diploma personally.
VB.
at 21:24 on June 16th, 2009
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?????
at 03:43 on June 17th, 2009
I wouldn't be demaning that she bring the diploma to his house; I'd be demanding that she hold an entirely new ceremony for him, with an open invitation for anyone who'd like to see this man graduate being able to attend; this should be funded out of her paycheck. I also think that she should have to give a public, live apology to this man and his family on tv, and it should be picked up by every news station possible - with the requirement that she explain exactly what she did and how wrong it was. Immediately proceeding this the school board should publicly fire her, and explain that stupidity like this will not be allowed in our school systems!
These are the people we allow to take care of and teach our youth???
She has ruined one of the most important and memorable moments of his and his family's life. I think my above mentioned suggestions are the only way she could truly feel and be sorry for what she has done. But as someone else said, Karma!
at 17:22 on June 16th, 2009
FUCK THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT
BULLSHIT
YOUR A FUCKED UP FAGGOTPERSON WHO DID THAT
at 19:03 on June 16th, 2009
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?
at 19:27 on June 16th, 2009
u suck
at 19:30 on June 16th, 2009
Because the internets is serious buisness, amirite?
at 20:48 on June 16th, 2009
I bet you never got laid.