Banned pregnant graduate walks anyway

[Jill1228]

She has chutzpah! Interesting...the baby's father got to graduate!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nation...t%20Graduation

Banned pregnant graduate walks anyway

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- 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.

[valkyrie]

Safety concerns? Dude, WTF?

[moe.ron]

The father's allowed to graduate? Nice discriminatory practice there.

[valkyrie]

It's funny that she could've had an abortion and walked at graduation, no problem.

[citydogisu]

arrest her for trespassing. aint no woman gonna usurp the power of the pope.

[kstar]

Good for her!

[AOIIBrandi]

Originally posted by moe.ron
The father's allowed to graduate? Nice discriminatory practice there.

Funny this is the same thing I thought when I first read the article. Then the next thing I thought is what Valkyrie posted about aborting it.

It's a Catholic school and they can do whatever they want, but I would ask that they be fair about their practices. If they don't condone the behavior then it is not fair to let either of the parties involved participate. They are punishing her because she has the bad luck of showing the outward signs of the behavior.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by valkyrie
It's funny that she could've had an abortion and walked at graduation, no problem.

That was my first thought. The only thing the school "taught" its students by this little morality play was how to be hypocritical; first, with the baby's father graduating, then by not applauding her for following the church's teachings and not having an abortion!

[aephi alum]

Good for her, standing up for herself!

I'd like to see the justification for those "safety concerns"

Originally posted by moe.ron
The father's allowed to graduate? Nice discriminatory practice there.

Agreed. Yes, they're a Catholic school and they can do what they want, but they should have banned both of them or neither of them. It takes two to make a baby.

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by aephi alum
Agreed. Yes, they're a Catholic school and they can do what they want, but they should have banned both of them or neither of them. It takes two to make a baby.

Totally agree. The two kids knew the rules and regulations of the school. However, that rules and regulations must be enforced evenly. The fact that the father was allowed to walk and the mother doesn't make it seems that the school does not enforced the rules evenly. This smacks discriminations.

[AEPhiSierra]

I agree with most of the other posters that the father should have been banned from the graduation as well. But the fact is she goes to a Catholic school where pre-marital sex, whether you agree or not, is against its teachings. It was the choice of her parents for her to attend a Catholic school and resultingly she must follow its rules. It makes perfect sense to me that she shouldn't have been allowed to walk at graduation. If this was a public school it would be a whole other story, she would have right to walk. The real fight should have been about stopping the father from walking for the sake of equal treatment of men and women.

[Taualumna]

At least the school let her stay. Some schools don't want pregnant teens to ruin their repuation, and would have asked her stay home for the ceremony, or even have kicked her out.

[xo_kathy]

Originally posted by Jill1228

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.

Wrong. Seems they did make her leave school.

[UKTriDelt]

Originally posted by valkyrie
It's funny that she could've had an abortion and walked at graduation, no problem.

I can see what you mean by this... it's kind of sad that this school behaved in this manner, and it's not indicative of most Catholic schools...
I went to an all-girls Catholic school and during my senior year, two of the girls became pregnant. Both girls were strongly counseled against abortion, and everyone in the school rallied around the girls to make the best of the situation. The girls were allowed to attend school until they could no longer fit into their skirts, then went home for much needed rest. They were allowed to graduate, just not in front of everyone else, because they were at home, with babies.
I agree that the father should not have been allowed to walk.. At my hometown's boys Catholic schools, getting a girl pregnant doesn't stop you from walking on your graduation day. In general, Catholic schools in such situations are doing the very best to help out girls who have gotten themselves into sticky situations, but they also should consider the guys.

[FSUZeta]

safety concerns? maybe they were afraid that her water would break and someone would slip and fall!

talk about a double standard.