A Chicago high school graduate says she was removed from her graduation ceremony and denied her diploma after celebrating with a split on stage as she collected her certificate, Fox32 reported.
18-year-old Tyvion Campbell recently graduated from Chicago Tech Academy. She claims school officials stopped her from receiving her diploma after she performed the dance move during the school's commencement ceremony at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Chicago.
The moment was cheered by family and friends in the audience. However, it turned sour when Campbell said she realised she was not being handed her diploma after crossing the stage.
“I tried to reach for my diploma, and I didn’t get it,” Campbell said.
She added: “I was confused at first. I thought they mixed up my name."
The 18-year-old graduated with a 3.5 GPA and plans to study business administration at Georgia State University. She said she was later confronted by school leaders over the incident.
According to Campbell, principal Zataya Shackelford criticised her for drawing attention to herself during the ceremony.
Campbell said: “The principal Miss [Zataya] Shackelford told me that I need to think of a way to make up for what I’ve done. This was supposed to be a celebratory moment and I made it about myself.”
Campbell said she was escorted out of the ceremony shortly afterwards, leaving her unable to enjoy the remainder of the event with her classmates.
“It was disappointing,” she said.
She added: “It really hurt my feelings. I cried and I couldn’t even continue the graduation.”
The graduate claims she has still not received her diploma following the incident.
The controversy stirred a row online, with supporters questioning whether the punishment was too harsh. Campbell also argued that there was no specific school policy that prohibited students from doing splits or similar dance moves while crossing the stage.
The incident is the latest graduation ceremony controversy to make headlines in US. Earlier this year, Leen Hijaz, a senior at Clayton High School in North Carolina, was cut off during her commencement speech after criticising immigration enforcement policies.
