Atlanta Police Officers Ejecting Graduate's Family Members & Friends

May 29, 2009 Atlanta, GA Last evening during the graduation ceremony of Maynard Jackson class of 2009, several family members of graduating seniors were ejected from the civic center for clapping and cheering their loved ones by officers of the Atlanta Police Department. Family members were told at the beginning of the ceremony not to clap until the entire graduating class names had been called. However, family members excited that their loved ones were graduating and overcome with emotion, chose to civilly disobey by clapping and self-removing themselves in some cases. In other cases, officers personally escorted them out of the event. One father expressed outrage by saying its a sad day when you come to a graduation that is filled with police and are asked to leave your own daughters graduation because you display excitement about moment. Police officers had no comment.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Atlanta
• Police
• Officers
• Ejecting
• Graduate's
• Family
• Members
• Friends
• 2009
• graduating
• maynard
• jackson
• high
• school
• apd

[lilibon]

One of the reasons for low graduation in this country is that people have forgotten how to conduct themselves. This is a GRADUATION CEREMONY not a concert. Note the word CEREMONY. It is a clue that a certain decorum is expected.

[1229mk]

I agree with lilibon - public decorum is a lesson hat all the audience members should NOT need the police to enforce. There had to be some history of this type of disruption previously to even have the school consider having police on hand to handle it and, as was demonstrated in the video, apparently necessary to insure that their request was adhered to.

[jmoney31705]

you're suppose to remain quiet and all clap at once at the end, if people cant obey rules, they need to be escorted out , thats whats wrong with america today, but yet you people love the police and big government, get use to things like this, reap what you sow

[mlw4428]

Maybe the ghetto family will learn what a ceremony means. It wasn't hard for my family to observe my high school's (very similar) rules.

[sccnws86]

1.) More than likely, the school/college/etc hired these officers through the department as an overtime detail.

2.) This is the risk you run when you act the way these people did during a GRADUATION ceremony, on PRIVATE PROPERTY. There is NO REASON NEEDED to be asked to leave when on PRIVATE PROPERTY.

[AVINATION]

i live in atlanta.... down the street from a drug house....... i call the police and they never come ...........now i know why.................... they're busy being hall monitors and noise police

[2204Alpha]

I went to an all white school, people were able to follow directions and not yell and clap so that all the names could be heard.

[jamalb7]

thats my school

[mcbam989]

My cuz graduated form South Atlanta a few years back and it got completly out of hand it was so ghetto the whole croud booed the school oficials they "west side walk" across the stage but the croud was the worst screamilg yelling shoutin out people by they nick names barking and some africans wete doing all kind of african chants I had a uncle who came down from NY leave cuz he had a headache and could not take the noise anymore so he missed when they called my cuz name

[lvillelarry]

I'm pretty sure the Atlanta Police Officers weren't directly ejecting them for clapping and cheering. The APD was probably instructed by school administration that THEY wanted anyone who clapped or cheered to leave. The preface by the principal was sufficient to imply the individuals were trespassing once they violated the rules. The APD more than likely escorted them out rather than arrest them for trespassing! Remember, everyone wants to hear their child's name! I salute the school system!