An Ohio mother is fuming today after her son was recently denied his diploma because she and other relatives cheered too loudly for Mt. Healthy senior Anthony Cornist as he walked on stage during the high school's graduation ceremony.
"Teachers, other students and other family members who weren't with us were also cheering for him also. He's well known," Traci Cornist said of the Fighting Owls' second leading tackler.
But the school thought the disruptive behavior warranted a withholding of Anthony's diploma. "I will be holding your diploma in the main office due to the excessive cheering your guests displayed during the roll call," said principal Marlon Styles, Jr. in a letter to the student.
His diploma will be held hostage until Anthony performs 20 hours of community service, but his mother is refusing to cave in to their demands. "He's definitely not doing the community service," she said.
Anthony, meanwhile, is concerned about how the delay could impact his higher education. "I have a college right now that definitely needs my diploma," he said.
Downstream in South Carolina, the no-cheering policy claimed a second victim when a mother was hauled out of the South Florence High School in handcuffs after she expressed ebullience at the sight of her daughter receiving her diploma.
Shannon Cooper was charged with disorderly conduct and released on a $225 bond.
"Yesterday can't be replaced," said her daughter Iesha. "I'm gonna remember. She gonna remember for the rest of her life. My mama went to jail on my graduation day."