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Bonny Eagle High School Student Denied Diploma for Blowing a Kiss
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by Jarrett Martineau | June 16, 2009 at 09:52 am
97428 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.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (792)
at 22:53 on June 16th, 2009
Seriously, attacking someone who isn't as educated as yourself on the internet puts the ignorance in your corner. So what? This person made their opinion known and didn't sound like some wannabe attorney speaking. Does that make you somehow better? Stick to the subject and stop net-bashing someone to make yourself feel somehow above them.
For all others posting "give him his diploma". This kid will and probably already has been given his diploma. That isn't the issue at this time. I'm sure they had no problems mailing it to him. They have no intention NOW of withholding it. Their damage is done. The punishment was for him not to receive it "as he walked" and that has been accomplished. He'll get his diploma. However, this person who made the decision to keep him from getting it at that time should be fired. You can't replace that moment and she indeed overreacted.
at 03:50 on June 17th, 2009
Wow! You sure told them a piece of your mind. Maybe you should learn some new words, because you vocabulary is awful small.
at 17:22 on June 16th, 2009
They should fire the dumb bitch for doing that.
at 17:25 on June 16th, 2009
I've heard of the insane so called "educators" who have YOUNG children labeled "Sex Offenders" because they "looked, showed, or mentioned" "private parts" due to their NATURAL curiosity, and this EXTREMIST view should also be absolutely prevented.
What is the world coming to when you can't even blow a kiss to a loved one??
Some people have HUGE control, warped, confused, misdirected, mis-defined, over board beliefs!! As my Mother always said: "Those who can't, teach."
at 19:10 on June 16th, 2009
at 20:41 on June 16th, 2009
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.
at 20:51 on June 16th, 2009
I applaud you for a well said response :D
at 21:28 on June 16th, 2009
Well and clearly stated. I am so happy to see students show respect for their
parents and acknowledge the hard work done supporting their student's education.
at 21:47 on June 16th, 2009
Thank you for your response. It is very well spoken and completely correct. Educators work very long, hard hours teaching our children the things they need to succeed in life. They are always underpaid and often unappreciated and to see one of their "kids" graduate is often the only reward.
Then you have the power hungry few, who succeed in giving the whole group a bad name. Thank you to all those who taught me. It is truly a debt I could never repay.
And to Superintendent Lucas..........SHAME ON YOU!
at 22:00 on June 16th, 2009
Are there no checks and balances in the education system. Can we say no job or benifits. Our taxes should not pay for this.
at 17:30 on June 16th, 2009
There is a special place in hell for people like Mrs. Lukas. It's yet another case of an extremely small minded person excersising unreasonable power over a helpless individual. Congrats to you Mrs. Lukas...you're a bad person. Keep up the good work, and don't worry, God will be waiting with an equally "fair" punishment for you. Everyone faces justice eventually....
at 17:30 on June 16th, 2009
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.
at 17:32 on June 16th, 2009
wth? is that legal? is there something wrong with them? how is blowing a kiss misbehaving? these ppl have issues...thats really unfair. Man they suck.
at 17:33 on June 16th, 2009
This is the most stupid thing I have EVER heard! What an power hungry woman, who just ruined one of the most important days in a child's life. How dare she embarrass the student and family. These administrators need to move onto a different profession where they don't have contact with people.
at 17:37 on June 16th, 2009
No matter what the STUDENTS agreed to as far as the rules, the School and the School Board are 100% wrong for denying this student his DIPLOMA.. What bunch of "BULL" to do this and the PRESSURE should be kept on the "Superintendent" to make this up this STUDENT and his FAMILY
at 17:39 on June 16th, 2009
That is completely harsh. No administration would be that low. That corrupted that they would deny someones diploma for a sign of affection. TO THEIR FAMILY MEMBER?! I find it completely unfair and stupid. The administration of this school should feel ashamed of their selves for doing such an embarrassing and unforgivable gesture to someone who is so happy to graduate. I would sue.
at 17:39 on June 16th, 2009
This is ridiculous!!! It's freaken graduation and there is to be expected a high level of hyperness!!! Stop being suck hardasses on these kids that accomplish so much! They've completed 4 extremely important years of their lives and to scrutinize one for being affectionate weather it be to his mom or the school as a fairwell so be it. Maybe that is how he expressed his gratitude towards his mom... Someone needs to speak up and stand up to the school district if anything is going to change!!!
at 17:40 on June 16th, 2009
this is so stupid. we see a lot of crazy behavior daily in our socitey. if blowing kiss what is we are worried about then i think we are doing good. Wake up super...join our real world.
at 17:42 on June 16th, 2009
What a narrow mind ! I now see some of the things that are wrong with our school system, at least, your school system. You should be glad that a student has those feelings for his mother. Get real and get a life. !!
at 17:42 on June 16th, 2009
This is not right. I go to bonny eagle high school, and their school is UNFAIR. Not just to Justin Denney, but to many, many people. If it were me, I would have jumped off the stage, gave my family a GROUP HUG, and taken my diploma with a smile. But no, bonny eagle school can't give anyone a break, can they. Justin deserves his diploma, and the school needs to be looked down on, humiliated, and suzanne lukas fired.
at 17:42 on June 16th, 2009
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 !!!
at 17:45 on June 16th, 2009
Are you serious? This is ridiculous.
at 17:47 on June 16th, 2009
this is so crazy, the boy did work hard to ge this dipolma or they wouldnt have gotten ready to give it to him, he wasnt messing around and the other boys shouldnt have been playing with the beech balls, but they still should have gotten theres too. something wrong with the person that said they didnt work hard to sit down and not get there diploma so stupid to me. he needs someone to talk to him and for him to be punished for taking them away like that.
at 17:48 on June 16th, 2009
I am truly horrified and enraged by this ignorant woman's actions. How dare she deprive this young man of his hard earned diploma! All this nonsense over a public display of affection toward his mother?
at 17:51 on June 16th, 2009
One would hope that Superintendent Suzanne Lukas would be fired!
at 17:52 on June 16th, 2009
If that is the worst thing that principal had to deal with that day, he should be ashamed of himself. With all the things kids do these days. The district should do something with that principal!
at 17:53 on June 16th, 2009
i don,t think that was right to take away his diploma just because he showed his family some affection during the tinme he was receving his dilpoma. i think that the school board should give him, his diploma.
at 17:53 on June 16th, 2009
This lady must be so old she doesnt have any joyous moments left in her life. Who is she the fucking diploma police. They need new rules and regulations on administration in schools. When I graduated they told us not to come naked under our gowns and not to write on the top of our caps. This lady is a JOKE.!!!!!!!!!!!
at 17:54 on June 16th, 2009
As someone who had the option of going to this school and whose half-brother does attend this school I want to say that if my brother is treated this way, their name 'Bomb threat high' might just change to 'exploding bomb high'. You don't screw with people's lives because of a gesture like this. I want to personally see all the personnel from that school removed, including the middle school, because they have ridiculously harsh punishments and freaking camera's watching the bathroom doors should, as my 6th grade teacher there had said 'anyone walk in there with a pen or a pencil and write bomb on the doors'.
You all need to get a life, you wouldn't have any of these problems if you treated your students the way that my school does, with respect.
at 17:55 on June 16th, 2009
U got to be F'in Kidding me !!Unbelievable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!