This makes me sick and angry: Mom locked up for cheering at child's graduation

[cali]

Shannon Cooper cheered as her daughter walked across the stage to get her diploma from South Florence High School Saturday night, but just minutes later, Shannon was handcuffed and arrested.

"Are ya'll serious? Are ya'll for real? I mean, that's what I'm thinking in my mind. I didn't say anything. I was just like OK, I can't fight the law. I can't argue with the police, but I'm like are you serious? I didn't do any more than the others did. Which I feel like no one should have went to jail," said Shannon.

<snip>

She said officers walked her across the Florence Civic Center, where the graduation ceremony was being held, in full view of everyone, including her daughter, Iesha Cooper, 18.

"Humiliation. I don't even think humiliation could describe how I felt. You know, because I feel from just my feelings and then looking at my daughter how she felt, I could take you know you know if I did something ,but like I said, yes they said you'll be escorted out no problem. I'll be escorted out. I'll go nicely because I'm gonna cheer. It was hard work. I went through so much to get her to this point you know," explained Shannon.

<snip>

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=761693#.T86AxFJ9bfY

[cynatnite]

1. She doesn't need to go to jail for this...

However, they did send letters out to the families requesting to keep the noise level down so that families could hear the names of their children.

She probably got carried away and that's understandable, but she is an adult and should have shown some restraint. I probably just would have ticketed her and sent her on her way. Jail is just stupid and an overreaction.

[cali]

2. they marched her out in handcuffs and

the article says that others were cheering.

[cynatnite]

4. Yep, obvious overreaction. n/t

[TrogL]

3. I think there's more to the story

From the comments, some parents were bringing cheering sections and it was so chaotic that some students' names couldn't even be heard over the chaos.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. Well you should have been at our school's grad. the other night

The noise was deafening

[marmar]

19. And even so, does that warrant an arrest?

nt

[left coaster]

5. Back in 2004, when our youngest graduated from high school..

There was no such rule or announcement that cheering by relatives would lead to being kicked out of our son's graduation event, but I kind of wish there had been.. Neither my husband nor myself could hear our son's name being announced because the family of a student who was previously called on stage, carried on much too loudly and too long. That was incredibly rude of them.

[Skip Intro]

6. Was reading about that earlier. Surely there is more to the story.

According to the replies to the article I read earlier and the one you link to, several people were escorted out for not following the no cheering rule, which the students voted to put into effect. I have read that some parents did not hear the names of their sons or daughters called because of the cheering for the previous student.

Based on what I've seen reported so far, I don't think the woman should have been arrested. Then again, I'm not sure the whole story has been reported. Clearly, though, if everyone had followed the announced rules, given at the beginning of the ceremony, along with a warning that those who violate the rule would be escorted out, then none of this would have happened.

[EFerrari]

24. It's unlawful to arrest people for breaking rules. They have to commit a crime

before you can lawfully arrest them. Irritating other people at a school assembly is not a crime.

These charges will be dropped and I hope this lady suits the fuck out of the police. Oh, and her daughter, too, should sue them for ruining her graduation.

[Skip Intro]

30. I believe she was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Others were escorted out, this woman is the only one I've read about being arrested.

As I said, there has to be more to the story.

[liberal N proud]

7. At our daugters graduation they rattled the names off too fast for anyone to cheer

I thought I had gone to the auction.

Somewhere, I saw that some young man did not get his diploma because his family cheered. I guess we are not supposed to be proud.

[RC]

9. Ya wanta cheer, its gotta be for a member of a popular clique... /sarcasm

I've been to high school graduation ceremonies and they announced before the ceremony, no cheering. People did it anyway and no one was escorted out, even when I thought it had gotten out of hand when various hot shot names were called. Or have I hit on something here?
"How dare that Mama think her kid was that worthy."

[EFerrari]

10. Stupid idiots. n/t

[RFKHumphreyObama]

11. I'm torn about this

I can understand why the rules were there and parents should try and respect and adhere to them. I can understand the pride and happiness and joy that they must feel for their child and for their accomplishments in raising their child but sometimes acting that out with a whole lot of noise makes it that much harder for the next child's parents who are wanting to hear the acknowledgments of the efforts that they put in and can be very disruptive. So I can kind of sympathize with them being asked or, if they are unwilling, forced to leave

But handcuffing them, arresting them and charging them with disorderly conduct? Are you kidding me? That seems a massive overreaction and is outrageous to say the least

[EFerrari]

12. If you want a crowd to behave, you coach them.

That's the job of the people officiating at these things.

[EFerrari]

13. The comments at the link are creepy as hell.

People agreeing with the arrest because they are irritated by people cheering their kids. Authoritarians from hell. Ugh.

[marmar]

20. The authoritarian mentality in some of these thread responses is a bit disturbing.

nt

[laundry_queen]

23. And it's that kind of shit

that totally extinguishes any kind of creative thinking to solve the problem.

What's wrong with finding a big screen to flash the names?? Then people don't miss their loved one, and they can cheer all they want. Stupid authoritarians. Couldn't think their way out of a wet paper bag.

[EFerrari]

26. Add, the racial component. Seeing black people cuffed and arrested for nothing at all

is apparently just SOP any more.

[Solly Mack]

14. Damn

[Nye Bevan]

15. Harsh. But I bet nobody else cheered after her arrest.

And I bet nobody cheers at next year's ceremony.

[EFerrari]

25. Yeah, police abusing their power can have a chilling effect on the public. n/t

[antigone382]

16. Ugh. High School graduations are like that ridiculous, last authoritarian gasp.

My high school graduation was a completely over-the-top display of control freaks in overdrive. They made it clear that any kind of "disruption" of this "solemn occasion" would result in them denying us our diplomas, etc. They told us we would not walk unless we were in the exact appropriate attire--down to the girls having to wear white shoes, not black. It was just silly.

At my college's recent graduation (I have a year left, but I was lucky enough to marshall), some people walked across with their kids, others walked across barefoot. Many decorated their hats quite elaborately. Several African families brought traditional horns and blew them triumphantly when their kids' names were called. This was all totally smiled upon, and nobody's name was missed because the announcers had the grace, and the sense that this was an event *for* the graduates to *celebrate* just took their time and waited until the cheering had subsided to read the next name. No, it didn't take an excessively long time to read through the names, and the fact that the atmosphere was excited and celebratory made the whole event seem to go by that much more quickly.

What I really don't understand is how you can possibly think it is less disruptive or distressing to the graduating students in your "solemn occasion" to march people out in the middle of it, rather than just let them cheer.

[missingthebigdog]

17. The crowd should be REQUIRED to cheer.

Graduation is and should be a celebration. If the announcer needs to pause while the cheering subsides, the celebration just takes a little longer. With so many kids giving up and dropping out, these kids deserve to hear how proud their family is!

I attended the high school graduation of my son recently. We were admonished, in a robo-call from the school, a letter home, in the program, and in the opening remarks, to refrain from cheering and clapping. Nobody heeded these instructions.

My son is 20, and has autism. You can bet I hollered when he crossed the stage.

[panader0]

18. dig it

[EFerrari]

22. Congratulations to you both!

[hedgehog]

21. The dispute over cheering at graduations is an example of

the conflict between the cultural norms of various socioeconomic classes. I see it also involving the wearing of hats indoors, "proper" attire for any number of events, etc. In my experience, it's typically privileged whites complaining about the behavior of others.

[sarcasmo]

27. Police State USA. The United States, #1 at putting people in prison.

[TBF]

28. Yup, for-profit prisons are going to remain full.

Capitalism at it's best ...

[Honeycombe8]

29. She wasn't arrested for cheering, sounds like. She was arrested for being disorderly while being

escorted out, the school sorta said.

And I'm wondering how that young woman graduated. If you read the article, the girl doesn't even use standard grammar. "She gonna remember this." "Other people was cheering." ????