Student ejected from ceremony for graduating while black

But… but… I talk back to teachers, admins, ceo’s, investors like every day and don’t get LEO called on me.

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No, it is the actual situation. The school apparently took their dress code seriously - we can disagree with that, that is an issue for that school’s community - but they put considerable energy into warning students and parents in advance of the ceremony that deviation would not be permitted. During the ceremony this student violated this dress code. The teacher, whose job it was to do this, asked the student to remove the garment. The student refused. The teacher had to make a decision in real time what to do next. Deciding on his own to ignore both the mandates of his job and the open disrespect of the student was an option, but I don’t think it is fair to say that by not taking this option he was being a racist asshole.

What would you have had him do in this situation? As I’ve said above, I don’t know what I would have done, and I think it is cheap and unreasonable to criticize this teacher without offering a reasonable positive alternative action.

[quote=“AcerPlatanoides, post:190, topic:78756”]
might makes right? noted.[/quote]
You hate teachers? Noted.

The context of my statement was a response to nemomen’s distinction between administrators and teachers.

They didn’t. The difficult circumstances (should I assume you genuinely didn’t understand my posts, and aren’t just trolling?) was that the decision had to be made in real time, as this big school event was taking place.

Well, it is now, but it shouldn’t have been. See my post above.

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Internet comments don’t count.

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Their decision was to call the police and escort Mr. Holmes out of his graduation. That is wholly inappropriate and an insane overreaction.

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So, other than “not that”, what would you have done in his position?

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:joy:

Okay, irl I do the same things :smiley:

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Well, if you’re in my office talking back to me I have an easy way of getting rid of you; I switch off the air conditioner.

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In 1996, my buddy almost wasn’t allowed to walk because he wasn’t wearing a tie underneath his gown. He had on one of those collarless button-up shirts that was popular at the time. Some goddamn coach came and yelled at him while we were standing around, then finally settled down and walked away. The following year there was a big to-do because a girl wore a pantsuit underneath her gown instead of a dress. I can’t remember if they let her walk or not.

Our co-valedictorian had been in trouble for credit card fraud, but he was allowed to walk with no problem, on account of his tie.

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Said king Pyrrhus of Epirus.

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1: Let Mr. Holmes wear his kente and nod in approval as he crossed the stage
2: Fire the people that called the cops
3: Tell the student paper Mr. Holmes convinced me to abolish that stupid rule

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Love it :smiling_imp:. Seriously, that is the right response.

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Well, your willingness to push back against what you’ve been told to do by your employer is commendable, as is your readiness to defend capricious enforcement of school procedure. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have the presence of mind or purity of heart to do it in the heat of the moment.

In your scenario I would like to hear you explain to the Laotian girls who didn’t wear the jewelry their grandmothers passed down to them (because they were obeying rules they’d been told in advance) why their classmate who bought a kente online the week before got to violate the same rule.[quote=“StrawBoss, post:204, topic:78756”]
Here’s the whole story: Kid acts like a little snot- school over reacts.
[/quote]
I don’t think that’s quite fair either.

I don’t think Holmes overreacted or is “snot-schooled”. I do think he knew he’d be called on his kente and wanted to push the system. He should get a pass because this kind of pushing the system is a right of passage for a kid his age. That doesn’t mean he didn’t behave badly, it just isn’t that serious. Fortunately, he wasn’t actually arrested, he wasn’t prevented from graduating, he still had a good HS education, he’s still heading off to a good college. The punishment for his willful behavior is commensurate with the violation. All this outrage is just the amplifying effect of the internet.

For all that I disagree with some of your arguments, it’s a pleasure to watch someone who can intelligently defend your viewpoint without resorting to the supercilious ad hominems and vaguely racist infantilizing we’ve seen in this thread.

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A fact that you apparently aren’t able to demonstrate in any way.

It was “Kid acts like a little snot HYPHEN SPACE school over reacts.” Honestly, I’m not 100% sure that’s the proper way to punctuate that kind of sentence.

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If you lack all hope in the intelligence of people who disagree with you, then why did you engage in the debate to begin with?

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Shits and giggles. Make myself feel smart.

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I hope your life is full of richness.

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Liked for at least owning it.

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