School official presses charges for cheering at graduation
 

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) ? Ursula Miller knew that when she shouted her niece's name after she received her diploma at a north Mississippi high school graduation, she would probably be asked to leave the arena.

But she never expected Senatobia school district Superintendent Jay Foster, who instructed spectators to hold their cheers until after all students graduated, would file criminal charges against her.

Miller, a resident of the 8,000-person town 30 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, is one of three people facing misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace following the May 21 Senatobia High School graduation.

"I understood as a consequence I was going to be escorted out of the graduation, but no one told me there were going to be criminal charges against me," Miller, 45, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Foster didn't respond to requests for comment Tuesday from the AP. He told The Clarion-Ledger newspaper that the behavior showed disrespect to other graduates.

"I did go and sign papers on them for disturbing the peace," he said. "My point is not to have somebody have to pay money, but I want them to know there are consequences for their behavior, and I want us to have a dignified service."

Zabe Davis, the police chief at Northwest Mississippi Community College, which hosted the graduation, said Foster swore out charges against three people. Miller said a constable served her with the charges Monday morning at home. Pending in Tate County Justice Court, they carry a fine of up to $500 and a sentence of up to six months in jail. Miller said she's supposed to appear in court Tuesday.

Foster said he's worked to dignify graduations, stopping outbursts of cheering that prevent other student from hearing their own names. He said one student flinched last month when the cheering broke the silence.

"The look on her face when she was coming across the stage just reminded me, this is about the kids," he said. "So many things these days, if I had to sum it up in a few words, it's all about me. But this is not. This is about the graduates."

But Miller said she was only trying to celebrate her niece's achievement.

"That's what we do in our family, is we celebrate this occasion," Miller said. "She deserved that cheer and I would do it again."

School official presses charges for cheering at graduation - Yahoo News

It's just certain "savages" that would burst out like that. Unacceptable and rude to only think of oneself and "in our family we do this" at a dignified service for all graduates. I really hope she gets stuck with a hefty fee. Besides, who celebrates a niece that way?

she probably did it on purpose because she didn't want to have to stick around to see all the other kids.

"She deserved that cheer" WTF are you talking about? "that cheer" was against the rules and is now causing everyone no end to embarrassment, and you would do it again... what a piece of shit. Saying "fuck you" to the rules and saying you're all set to do it again.. way to teach your niece how to be a piece of shit. How about you cheer at home? How about showing others your niece comes from a respectable family? Goddamn. There's dumb and then there's stupid. One can be forgiven, the other is not worthy of it. That goes for all of those who broke the rules which I guess was THREE. Welcome to the few morons in your tiny town.. A cut below the rest.

On one hand this sounds like over kill. But at the same time all of us have been to an event we were trying to enjoy and someone was a little bit too excited and spoils the fun for everyone else. You know the type.

Graduating high school is a milestone, not an achievement.

Aim higher.

How I see it, if the school advised everyone from the start and then people don't follow the rules then they deserve what happens. Jail is way over the top imo. I doubt it has ANYTHING to do with race. It really seems a lot of folks are really and I mean REALLY trying to start a race war with all the race baiting.

If it isn't the news, it's someone with power all the way down to us peon's
Why must everything that happens someone has to bring the race card into it? WHY?

To those people, graduating high school does indeed seem like if it was an achivement. They should learn to behave and not shout out randomly nevertheless.

wtf are you talking about??? it's the gateway to a higher education :clown

its just nothing special. its something that everyone does.

Is graduating kindergarten an achievement? It's a gateway to first grade!

They are milestones. Not achievements. It's very easy to pass high school. Attend class, pay attention 30% of the time and take the tests.

8th grade - high school - college :disgust you've been there put the bong down

now you are being stupid :2 cents::2 cents:

Celebration in mediocrity

I read the story and watched the video and didn't hear anything about race.

Man, why do you sorry fucks hate your kids? Do they embarrass you? Are you ashamed that they accomplished something?

When my kid graduates high school next yr, I will be there to cheer him on and let him know how proud I am of him.

I hear you man!
I don't have any kids but I would be very excited.

so she knowingly disrupted it, and was aware she would be kicked out beforehand. That says enough to me: It's the ultimate attention whore, stealing her niece's graduation limelight to fulfil her own craving for attention, and leaving her niece ashamed for her stupid aunt to boot. What an egotistical cunt.

As long as it's free she doesn't care - once a fine is lingering the bitch is up in arms. Sounds like she only cares about attention for herself and money. Way to go auntie, your niece is proud of you.

I agree.

Just another example of being punished for thinking outside of the box in today's politically correct culture! :disgust

I dont know what is more baffling in this thread... the fact that someone was actually scorned and punished for cheering at a family member's graduation... or the fact that any one of you is defending the school's actions.

It's a graduation... I can't imagine there not being any cheering. That's one place I would assume that family member's and especially parent's, going absolutely apeshit to show appreciation to their children's achievement... milestone... whatever.

I truly sat here and read this thread with a cocked eye in complete bafflement to not only the original story and even more so toward the replies here.

Have you seen them black people at graduations? Holly shit its a zoo. I don't have to google this story up to find out what this "cheer" looked and sounded like. I bet it went through 5 other kids who came after her niece to receive their diplomas.

How are you supposed to hear your child's name being called while 50 other people are still screaming?

Exactly. Respect is not welcomed in some families. Thats how their kids end up playing game of knockout with elders.

Who cares. People will cheer. Just like some girls wait for and anticipate their wedding day... parents anticipate their children graduating. Emotions and bottled up joy come pouring out.

I guarantee my mother would be the person being charged here and I would be embarrassed. But I wouldn't blame her and I would punch anyone in the nose that tried to get her to leave.

The parents cheering and overjoyed for their children(or kin) are more welcomed than the nancy ass bitches that give a shit about hearing a name called more so than other's joy. If you see them and know theyre there to graduate... then let the rest flow.


Should everyone be quiet? Is there a line drawn for clapping and cheering?


Ridiculous that were even discussing this incident.

In a nutshell, the only person you care about is yourself.

"Who cares?" The hundreds of other parents care. They want to hear their child's name being read, just like your mom does.

But hey go ahead, punch away!

Are you the guy that screams and talks loud at the movie theater, too?

Um are you serious?

If she wants to cheer for you do it on your own time. The graduation is about everyone and not just one persons achievements.

There is a way to act in public. And thats not ruining someone elses expierience based on your "emotions".

So as long as your mom has joy everyone else is "nancy ass bitches"? Wow crazy.

Ok so obviously I wouldnt punch anyone. But my mom would definitely go ape shit.

You guys are weird man. Ask her to leave. I have no problem with that. but charges? ludicrous!

I think I need to know how overbearing this woman's cheers were because I'm baffled at this progressing so far.

I mean in my mind she would have to be shooting fireworks and totting air horns and blowing one of those south american soccer horns for this to be an issue.

This sounds like a lazy principal who didn't want to take up and extra hour or so. Cheering...why not...laughter? great.
Why should they sit there like robots?

Jeez

Are you too fucking stupid to use youtube search? Just go for Grambling State or Morgan State graduations. Thats college for you. Multiply that by 5 and you have your high school circus.

I disagree with both you. Graduating high school is in fact an achievement. Not everyone graduates from high school.

Take it from someone who did not graduate high school. I dropped out, went into the military, eventually took my GED, then went onto college.

Are you asking me if im too stupid to go look for something on youtube that isn't the same incident as discussed and then use your math upon said random video to show me how this woman overreacted?

Yea... I guess I am.

No, every time someone says "did you see my chicken lay an egg", do you have to see video of this particular chicken doing it because every other chicken does it standing on one leg or sitting on its head?

That definitely is some chicken logic...

Exactly, I didn't even go to mine, school posted the certificates.

When I graduated the parents cheered and clapped for each kid, but I went to a small school. My niece graduates this weekend. There are 500 students in her graduating class and they have already told the students to tell their guests not to cheer until the end so they can get through the presentation in a reasonable amount of time.

Of course arresting this woman is stupid, but when you read the article she cheered knowing she would get in trouble. So she needs attention so badly she had to upstage her own kid at their graduation.