A 17-year-old US student named Hafsah Abdur-Rahman was denied her diploma during a graduation ceremony of Philadelphia High School for Girls recently because she did a little dance as she walked excitedly towards the principal, Lisa Mesi, who decided on the spot not to give Hafsah her diploma on stage.
The incident made the teenage student feel her moment was taken away from her. Reportedly, the principal had already warned students that their families could not cheer or clap when they walked on stage to receive their diplomas and Hafsah was told by the principal she could not receive her diploma because everyone cheered and laughed when they saw Hafsah dancing.
Meanwhile, the School District of Philadelphia has issued a statement saying that the district did not condone the withholding of earned diplomas based on family members cheering for their graduates and they were looking into the matter further to avoid it from happening in the future. The school’s assistant superintendent has since apologised to Hafsah and her mother too.
However, the school’s alumni have publicly shown their support behind Mesi’s decision for maintaining the graduation protocols.
Photo: A screenshot from a viral video showing Hafsah Abdur-Rahman dancing as she walked to receive her diploma
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