The two students aren’t walking after getting into a fight .. and that decision prompted protests in the community.
The seniors know they are at fault because they violated school rules–but believe school officials could have prevented the incident from happening at all.
Parents and students decorate Nanakuli High and Intermediate’s stadium for its 2011 graduation ceremony.
More than 100 students are expected to graduate but two seniors will not be walking.
"I feel like I when earn this and I deserve to walk," says Nathan Auelua-Naki, Nanakuli senior.
The students say it stemmed from a fight that happened on-campus April 18.
A group of adults came on campus looking for a high school student wanting to fight.
That student, was Kenson and Nathan’s relative, both say they fought back in self-defense.
"We knew the risk that was going to happen we knew that we signed our contract and we knew that but it just the situation that we were in we were caught up in a whole big commotion," says Kenson Paris, Nanakuli senior.
School officials say seniors signed a contract in March agreeing to stay out of trouble until they graduate.
"It’s like our fault too, but it’s also they’re fault because if they prevented the whole situation of letting kids onto campus then this whole situation wouldn’t of even happened," says Paris.
But the victim’s family says they called the school to alert them the student was getting threatened by the attackers before the fight even took place.
They say if security would have done their job, the fight would have never happened.
The Department of Education issued this statement…
"The administration at Nanakuli High and Intermediate school has conducted a full investigation into this matter and taken appropriate disciplinary action per Chapter 19. For graduating seniors, Chapter 19 violations result in their inability to participate in commencement exercises. The safety and well-being of our students and employees is paramount."
The two graduating seniors along with their family and classmates protested last night and today…hoping the school’s principal would allow the seniors to walk.
"They’re saying that they’re punishing the kids they’re basically punishing the community and the parents," says Roselani Auelua, Nathan’s Mom.
The graduation ceremony began over an hour ago.
Both seniors attended the ceremony wearing their cap and gown even though they are not allowed to walk.
They say they went to the ceremony to support their fellow classmates.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
