NEWS

Family members charged for cheering at graduation

Foster: "We just asked them to wait until the end so everyone has an opportunity to hear their graduate's name."

Therese Apel

Senatobia School District's superintendent said he pressed charges on people who cheered out of turn at graduation recently because they already understood that school officials had asked for respect at the service.

Superintendent Jay Foster had asked the crowd at the event and in advance to hold their applause until the end. Four people allegedly decided to disobey those wishes. They were not only asked to leave, but Foster found out the names of three of them and pressed charges for disturbing the peace.

Foster said for the last four years, he has worked to make graduation a respectful, dignified ceremony. He said he had let the families and friends of the students know that no noise would be tolerated at the graduation ceremony, which according to the school's website was on May 21.

"We didn't tell them they couldn't cheer, we just asked them to wait until the end so everyone has an opportunity to hear their graduate's name," he said.

Foster said one of the students who was walking across the stage during the disturbance actually flinched and looked upset 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."

Foster said there were four people who disturbed the ceremony. He was able to get the names of three of them to press charges, but still hasn't been able to identify the fourth.

Linda Walker, Ursula Miller and the two other people whose names have not been made public were asked to leave the ceremony because they were screaming and cheering.

"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."

Northwest Community College Police Chief Zabe Davis said Foster pressed charges by coming to the police department and filling out an affidavit, which then had to be taken to justice court to be sworn to and filed.

Justice Court Clerk Mary McAbee said Ursula Miller has been served, but that she could not release the names of the others until they had been served as well. She said it's not clear if they will actually be arrested or if they will simply be given a court date. She had not heard back what occurred with Miller.

"I can understand they can escort me out of the graduation, but to say they are going to put me in jail for it," Miller said to WREG. "What else are they allowed to do?"

Foster said he didn't think just removing them from the service would make the point. He said some of them were actually moving toward the door as they made noise. In addition, Foster said, it seemed as if they did it in defiance of the requests for respect as opposed to simply wanting to celebrate their graduates.

"I can never judge what's in somebody's heart. All I can act on is their actions," he said. But that's been said to me, that it looked like they did it on purpose."