Better for whom? It seems that there are only parents complaining that the super was so silly with her overage of power. There hasn't been any publicity (as I am aware of) of parents AGREEing with her actions. It seems as though what would make it better is for Suzanne to get a sense of humor or at the very least a new job. Maybe one without children, teenagers and maybe with a desk and computer and NO HUMAN interaction. That might make graduation for these kids better. :)

Msn has a story of this on it's homepage....what a joke....that school and sheriff dept....should be ashamed....those parents should SUE the school dept and sheriff dept.........

The authorities need to get a life & a sense of humor. This is graduation, a time to celebrate the end of highschool life. I'm glad my school didn't stoop to this type of gestapo tactics. If they had, my entire class would have been escorted out & denied diplomas.

Right, sue the school for attempting to make the celebration one that runs smoothly. These events take hours, try everyone's patience and it's tough when certain parents! or students try to take over the event.

Stupid behavior gets you fired on the job, gets you brig time in the services.....the reason you go home and have a celebration on your own time is that then you can be an individual or draw the world's attention to yourself or whatever.

...sounds like Lukas is a control freak...'nother brick in the wall...

I repeat:

Did I miss something here? In the story it said that these kids signed "the rules that each student was expected to read and sign beforehand."

And now that they have violated the agreement they signed, they whine and whimper like spoiled little kids.

Does no one there understand that with choices come consequences? What ever happened to civility? What ever happened to respect?

I find it hard to believe that EVERY student and EVERY adult approved of the actions of some. Here was a day in which the focus should have been on the students and their achievements, and instead the focus was on a bouncing ball/duck! Maybe it is not the kids that need some "larnin", but the adults!

I certainly hope they "refine" these kids before letting them get their diplomas and setting these awful youth loose on society....next they will start serving in the military, in our gov't, out in the business world, starting families etc...how terrible if this happens and they are not "refined"....Crazy!!

Typical of today's youth and the lack of parenting skills. Graduation is a time to be proud not horse around just to get a little attention that you don't get at home.

I won't comment on my opinion of some of the actions but as far as the student that blew a kiss to his family anyone who thinks that is "acting up" in my opinion is way off base. And if my kid had been denied his diploma because he blew me a kiss I would find the nearest lawyer that would sue and even if they changed their mind and gave him the diploma the authorities ruined his graduation for him and his family. Blowing a kiss is no different then holding your diploma high for them to get a picture of it. This is such a stupid reason for Maine to be in the national news. I am ashamed to be considered a Mainer right now.

You earn a diploma on the education you spent years learning, regardless if you misbehaved or not on stage does not give the school district the right to not hand that diploma over.

Consequences are taught in the classrooms, not on stage in front of everyone. Bouncing a ball and blowing kisses is nothing compared to what these kids could have done or done DURING the school year. Pull a fire alarm, set a trash can on fire, etc.

I just attended a college graduation that had 3 large beach balls being bounced around & A LOT of silly string being sprayed. To the best of my knowledge, nobody was denied their diploma. Nobody was hurt by this....graduation is suppose to be one of the happiest days in a persons life. Now these high school graduates have no good memories. Shame on the authorities for this one.

I'm sorry but the graduation belongs to the people graduating, not some power hungry old bat and the sheriffs dept. This is their last chance to be kids and celebrate their accomplishments. let them have their fun. We need to all send a quarter to suzanne_lukas@sad6.k12.me.us may she can buy a clue...

In case you wanted to send a message to Superindentent Suzanne Lukas or her assistant Carol Weeks, here are their e-mail addresses:

suzanne_lukas@sad6.k12.me.us

carol_weeks@sad6.k12.me.us

I would hate to open that inbox!!! I agree that you have to teach young adults how to behave acceptabilly but it's not about (as the article states) a refined event or a circus. Prehaps if the school did not focus so much on the kids not MISBEHAVING and focused more on the fact that it was a day for them and their friends and family to be proud of none of this would have escalated this way.

We were told during marching practice that we would begin the 2 hour practice when the last person arrived in the gym so we better all be on time. This was told to us so many times and different ways that on the last day of practice we all sat (close to 200 of us) for 1 hour and 55 min and waited. At that time one of the guys in our graduating class showed up. At that point the principal told us to rise and line up. We all rose...and close to 200 of us walked out of the gym and went to Governors for lunch.

I absolutely think the next words out of Justin Denney's mouth (the student who blew a kiss to his mother), after he was denied his diploma by Superindendent Lukas (apparently on one heck of an huge power trip), should have been: "I will see you in court!"

Graduation ceremonies are intended to honor and celebrate the students achievements which have culminated in a diploma.

Many of these kids have worked very, very hard to get there, whether they are valedictorian or last in their class.

I, for one, would appreciate any levity at all in the event, it is SO LONG and hot and uncomfortable.

I think that beach balls as well as misters and fans, and cushions should be required at all graduations.

This wasn't criminal mischief. Immature? Sure, but we were all young once weren't we?

There is a time and place for everything, I agree, but a high school graduation could do with a little less refinement (boredom) and a little more circus (fun!)

And I think we can find something in between.

Some superintendents do seem to have control issues.

This is EVERYWHERE on the net... Ms. Lukas bit off a lot with this one!!! :)

wayback, DougRichards, and TheBear....You guys need to pull the collective sticks out of your butts and try and remember when you were kids at high school graduation. The kids weren't drinking, or smoking crack, they were acting out in fun. You guys are what is wrong with society, so get off your high horses unless you have never done anything wrong.

Sounds to me that the Principle and the Superintendant oversteped their boundaries on this one. They should spend some time on the unemployment line for their misconduct. Their actions were uncalled for.

Also, a definate abuse of power by authoritive figures. Poor kid! He should sue.

The Superintendent evidently hasen't the intelligence to quickly identify siutations in which are rude, or just tollerable. This situation was tollerable. The Student had a right to show his achievements by wearing the ropes, and certainly blowing a kiss to his mother. The Superintendent needs some education of her own on how to more tolerate children or get another profession., Glen Ashe, Penobscot Community School, Penobscot Maine.

Boundaries need to be set. You allow one kid to break the norm and the rest will follow. Every parent here should understand that!

omg .. it's a celebration plain and simple ... those peeps need to get a grip .. refined more like controled... graduation ceremonies are boring as hell especially when there are long winded speakers launch the damn beach balls at least it will help the crowd stay awake..

First of all, I could not believe they had a Deputy Sheriff patrolling the floor. This was a public high school graduation, not a graduation from a juvenile detention facility. Yes the kids broke the rules, but they were silly rules. Were they told that they could not attend the ceremony if they did not sign the contract? Probably. Take the beach ball away from the kid but do not humiliate him and deny him his diploma. Mr. Denny's only mistake was in his timing. Note to future graduates, wait till after you have diploma in hand to show your emotion, and please do not forget to turn and blow a kiss to your parents. As for the sports chords, sports are an integral part of the high school experience and the kids who earn the chords worked hard for them. Do not deny them the opportunity to display their achievements.

Maybe just maybe they need to re-write the rules. Let's make it petty.

1. Do not bow.

2. Do not stop to throw a loved one a kiss.

3. Do not wave.

4. Do not let your parents/loved ones cry over the accomplishments of their child/ren.

I think the school administrator just wanted to show off that he/she was in authority.

I am sorry but I have read some of the comments on here about lack of parenting skills/lack of punishment. How can you honestly blame the parents of those children. And further more what exactly did the two children do wrong. They spent 12 years (13yr) really working hard years to accomplish their goal and graduate with their class. Are we all suppose to walk around 24/7 and be serious? We arent suppose to have fun once in a while? Now come on that is going a lil to far.... I am sorry but its pretty pathetic to put shame on those two children...... they did absolute nothing wrong just havin a lil fun and taking the edge off.

Class Clowns every class has them, every where is a Class Clown even at work places. They are just ppl that like to have a little fun and get people laughing. Doesnt mean they dont get attention at home(that was a pathetic statement and Very Rude). Or tht their parents are lacking parenting skills. Id say you ppl havent had any fun in your life or acted out once in a while. you must live a pretty boring life it you think these two students did something so wrong that they dont deserve their diplomia's. Let them act like teenagers since that is what they are because pretty soon they'll be adults and its not as much fun...........WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? ITS SHAMEFUL AND JUST GETTING WORSE EVERYDAY........WOW

I found a copy of the "expectations" online http://www.sad6.k12.me.us/~ssimmons/Expectations.pdf

Other than that fact that as I read it and saw that they were having a quest speaker not a guest speaker (nice - school district with spelling/word errors). There is NOTHING in there that justifies what this Lukas woman did.