Post by elonfirefighter on Jun 1, 2007 10:37:34 GMT -5
If this happened at elon, half the parents and students would be arrested.... Is Elons Jail that big
\FORT MILL HIGH GRADUATION
They yelled for grad
... and got arrested
Brother and 2 friends say they expected to be booted, but not arrested
ADAM O'DANIEL
(Rock Hill) Herald
Ryan Zimmerman knew that if he cheered for his younger brother during Fort Mill, S.C., High School's graduation ceremony last weekend, he'd be asked to leave.
It was a price he decided to pay.
But the 18-year-old Fort Mill grad never thought it would land him behind bars.
Zimmerman, Chris Coghill, 20, of Fort Mill, and Chandler Roberts, 20, of Charlotte were arrested on suspicion of public disorderly conduct during the ceremony at Winthrop Coliseum on Saturday, according to a Rock Hill police report. According to the report, the three men stood and cheered during the ceremony, then walked to the concourse and yelled again, causing a disruption.
The trio say they were unfairly targeted. Police say the group was being disruptive.
The incident underscores the tension that arises annually at graduation ceremonies as families celebrate a milestone and school officials work to make sure every name is heard. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has long urged restraint at the ceremonies.
Zimmerman said he and his friends knew cheers or interruptions were prohibited during the Fort Mill event but decided to disregard the rule after dozens of others cheered. Many groups stood, cheered then exited the building, Zimmerman said -- some by police escort, others by free will.
So he said that when his brother, Justin Zimmerman, reached the platform toward the end of the ceremony, the group stood up, walked to the front of their section and shouted, "You're my boy, Justin."
They tried to leave the arena as other cheering family members had done. But police detained them.
"There were whole families that would do it -- mom, dads -- then they'd walk out or be escorted out, but not arrested," said Zimmerman, a York Technical College student. "I just want my record clean. I'd hate to have a blemish from yelling at a high school graduation."
Roberts, a 2005 Fort Mill High graduate, said the three friends discussed whether they should stay quiet. "We were deciding the entire time and when we saw other people cheered and nothing happened to them we figured that meant it was OK for us to do it," Roberts said.
Zimmerman, Coghill and Roberts were released Saturday evening on $255 bond. They will appear in court June 19.
Lt. Jerry Waldrop of the Rock Hill Police Department said officers followed department policies. He said the school district hired police to provide security, and unruly individuals were subject to charges. The report is clear, he said, that the suspects were disruptive by calling out multiple times.
"They're lucky they didn't get charged with the high court offense of disturbing schools," Waldrop said. "They really haven't got a complaint."
Fort Mill school board Chairwoman Martha Kinard said the graduation policy isn't designed to discourage support, but to make sure each graduate receives equal recognition.
"When someone yells out, the next person in line, their family can't hear," Kinard said. "It's a matter of respect."
\FORT MILL HIGH GRADUATION
They yelled for grad
... and got arrested
Brother and 2 friends say they expected to be booted, but not arrested
ADAM O'DANIEL
(Rock Hill) Herald
Ryan Zimmerman knew that if he cheered for his younger brother during Fort Mill, S.C., High School's graduation ceremony last weekend, he'd be asked to leave.
It was a price he decided to pay.
But the 18-year-old Fort Mill grad never thought it would land him behind bars.
Zimmerman, Chris Coghill, 20, of Fort Mill, and Chandler Roberts, 20, of Charlotte were arrested on suspicion of public disorderly conduct during the ceremony at Winthrop Coliseum on Saturday, according to a Rock Hill police report. According to the report, the three men stood and cheered during the ceremony, then walked to the concourse and yelled again, causing a disruption.
The trio say they were unfairly targeted. Police say the group was being disruptive.
The incident underscores the tension that arises annually at graduation ceremonies as families celebrate a milestone and school officials work to make sure every name is heard. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has long urged restraint at the ceremonies.
Zimmerman said he and his friends knew cheers or interruptions were prohibited during the Fort Mill event but decided to disregard the rule after dozens of others cheered. Many groups stood, cheered then exited the building, Zimmerman said -- some by police escort, others by free will.
So he said that when his brother, Justin Zimmerman, reached the platform toward the end of the ceremony, the group stood up, walked to the front of their section and shouted, "You're my boy, Justin."
They tried to leave the arena as other cheering family members had done. But police detained them.
"There were whole families that would do it -- mom, dads -- then they'd walk out or be escorted out, but not arrested," said Zimmerman, a York Technical College student. "I just want my record clean. I'd hate to have a blemish from yelling at a high school graduation."
Roberts, a 2005 Fort Mill High graduate, said the three friends discussed whether they should stay quiet. "We were deciding the entire time and when we saw other people cheered and nothing happened to them we figured that meant it was OK for us to do it," Roberts said.
Zimmerman, Coghill and Roberts were released Saturday evening on $255 bond. They will appear in court June 19.
Lt. Jerry Waldrop of the Rock Hill Police Department said officers followed department policies. He said the school district hired police to provide security, and unruly individuals were subject to charges. The report is clear, he said, that the suspects were disruptive by calling out multiple times.
"They're lucky they didn't get charged with the high court offense of disturbing schools," Waldrop said. "They really haven't got a complaint."
Fort Mill school board Chairwoman Martha Kinard said the graduation policy isn't designed to discourage support, but to make sure each graduate receives equal recognition.
"When someone yells out, the next person in line, their family can't hear," Kinard said. "It's a matter of respect."