Pregnant Student Banned From Graduation Ceremony

[Merika]

How stupid is this story? What does being pregnant have to do with being able to graduate. She made a mistake...and is trying to move on.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5410673.html

Pregnant student banned from graduation goes anyway

Associated Press
May 18, 2005

MONTGOMERY, Ala. â€â€� A pregnant student who was banned from graduation at her Roman Catholic high school announced her own name and walked across the stage anyway at the close of the program.
Alysha Cosby's decision prompted cheers and applause Tuesday from many of her fellow seniors at St. Jude Educational Institute.

But her mother and aunt were escorted out of the church by police after Cosby headed back to her seat.

"I can't believe something like this is happening in 2005,'' said her mother, Sheila Cosby. "My daughter has been through a lot and I am proud of her. She deserved to walk, and she did.''

The school's guidance counselor delivered Cosby's degree to her house earlier Tuesday, but she still wanted to participate.

"I worked hard throughout high school and I wanted to walk with my class,'' she said.

Cosby was told in March that she could no longer attend school because of safety concerns, and her name was not listed in the graduation program.

The father of Cosby's child, also a senior at the school, was allowed to participate in graduation.

[Star]

this kind of thing really really gets me angry! How dare they treat a student like this because she's pregnant! AND to let the father of the unborn to be able to attend? To boot, escorting the mother and aunt out of there by the police!!! OMG!! I would sue their arses off for embarassement, discrimination and anything else I could think of!

How dare they!! I feel like sending this school a real good e-mail. :evil:

[Duke]

Isn't this a simple case of prejudice that she can sue for?

[Vautrin]

I hope you are right Duke. As far as I know it takes two people of opposite sex to get one possibly pregnant. To punish the girl for that, is a typical sign of sexual discrimination. The boy involved, if punished, should be punished just as severely.

I hope that the girl can succesfully sue them. This is an outrageous response; you wonder if some people would want to make it illegal for women to go outdoors when they are pregnant.

[Duke]

It's cases like this and the stupidity that ensues that is undermining our justice system and making people fed up. Not to mention the lack of morals of all involved in coming up with these stupid decisions. Then the media grabs it in the interests of controversy and ratings without one shred of decency or even compassion toward the victim or the persuit of justice.

If you really stop and think about it, the whole situation is a complete joke and the victim is now victimized not only by the idiots responsible for the decision, but she is now publicly humiliated in front of a world audience.

[Merika]

But yet nothing happens to the guy involved! 8O

[Paul]

This whole thing is ubsurd, I just can't understand how any school can allow that to happen, catholic or not. The priest who molests children is allowed to preside over a church ceremony but a pregnant girl can't get her diploma with the rest of the class? Please.

[Duke]

Society is going to the crapper faster than a 400lb man who just ate an ex-lax candy bar.

[Stone]

That's really sad, that girl should have been praised for what she did, I am glad she stook up for herself I am sure she had to work twice as hard for that Diploma.... this is a part of the catholic religion that really burns my arse to me it seems that they are WAYYYY to judgemental.

[Vautrin]

Stone you would be right if both of them were judged equally. But they were not. So there is a definitive sexist undertone with the whole situation. Something which is still part of the Catholic Church.

[Star]

it's extremely sexist and it would be grounds for suing the school here. Our catholic schools aren't like that here at all. They're actually extremely supportive when things like this happen to girls.

This school is obviously run the "old school" way which goes against all legal laws.

I am very proud of that girl for finishing her schooling and standing up for herself. She's going to make an awesome mom to her child.

[Merika]

Chloe and I watched a movie a while back which was about Catholic girls in Ireland who were actually sent away to this type of 'girls prison' if they were raped or deemed to be 'sexually provocative'. I think it was in the 1940's. It was incredible. I imagine the same scene happened in many places....just kept quiet until today.

[Duke]

Ya thats it, punish a woman for being raped, that's like punishing a child for being born. :roll: