ELIZABETHTOWN — A parent came forward at Monday’s Board of Education meeting to discuss her husband being removed from East Bladen’s graduation.
Katrina Brown shared her concern over how it was being handled by the principal, Dr. Jason Wray
“We came before the board today because we felt the need to bring some light to something very sensitive to our family, a silent graduation,” she said with her husband, Jermain, beside her. “Graduation is supposed to be one of the largest accomplishments and transitions to adulthood, and celebrated, and not rushed in silence.
“We understand that people can get carried away. And we agree that there should be rules set into place.”
She felt that seniors should be allowed to vote on whether their graduation is “silent or have timely applause and screams as well.”
“By allowing the senior class to vote, and set the rules, it shows the power and that their votes count,” Brown said.
She said she had met with Wray.
“He informed us that graduation is for students, staff, etcetera, except that students have no say,” Brown said. “I don’t understand that. It’s their graduation and they should definitely have a say.”
Brown also said that she felt like there was excessive consequences in her situation.
“My husband was one of the ones removed this past year, when our son walked the stage for saying ‘Good job, son,’” she said.
She felt it didn’t interrupt the program, and that her husband said it after the son’s name was mispronounced or incomplete. Brown said that she later received an email from the principal that night that she was unprofessional, and she alleged that the email said that her husband would not be allowed to attend next year’s graduation.
“We have another child graduating in 2020,” she said.
Brown said she was handed a copy of the student handbook, but reiterated that it was for students, not parents.
“Thank you for bringing that to our attention,” said Roger Carroll, the board chairman. “We will definitely look into it.”
Other information items included an update on when the Bladen County Schools Foundation for Corporate Initiatives will meet. Those meetings will be quarterly with the next meeting coming in October, January and April. The group plans to meet before the board meetings in those months.
Two seats for the Bladen Community College Board of Trustees, with terms that expired June 30, are open and one of the seats was filled by a majority vote for reappointing Pam Benton. The second seat, occupied by Hayes Petteway, did not come to a majority vote; that seat will either require a special called meeting or an appointment by the governor.
Two meet and greets are scheduled at the local schools for new the new principals that are coming. Elizabethtown Middle School will host its event at 5:30 p.m. Monday and East Arcadia will be at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Katrina and Jermain Brown came in to express their concerns about silent graduation.
Leave a Reply