US student denied diploma for dancing on stage

A high school student from Philadelphia High School for Girls in the USA was recently denied her diploma. The reason? As she was walking across the stage to receive her diploma from the school's principal, she did a little cheerful dance that cost her degree.

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What happened at the graduation ceremony?

On June 9, Philadelphia High School for Girls held its graduation ceremony, where families of the students were asked not to cheer, shout, or clap as students walked across the stage to accept their diplomas. Hafsah Abdul-Rahman was aware of these restrictions and did her best to adhere to them. However, as she stepped onto the stage, she couldn't contain her excitement and gave a bright smile and danced a little while going to collect her degree. But, her dance wasn't appreciated by her school's principal. The principal didn't hand her well-earned degree to Hafsah Abdul-Rahman and asked her to leave the stage, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

How did Abdul-Rahman feel after she didn't get her diploma?

Abdul-Rahman was upset after the principal denied her the diploma. "I was really embarrassed, I didn't think she was not going to give me my diploma because I didn't think I broke any rules," she told Fox 29. This graduation ceremony meant a lot to Abdul-Rahman, as she was not only receiving the diploma for herself but also for her sister Aisha, who was killed in 2014 at the age of 14 due to gun violence.

How did her family react to the situation?

Abdul-Rahman's mother Jasmine Reid told Fox 29, “After four years of high school, all these girls went through a lot - through COVID, mentally, physically - and you just humiliate them.” As per The Philadelphia Inquirer when a family member confronted another Girls' High official, Abdul-Rahman eventually received her diploma.

What did the school say after the incident went viral?

According to USA today, the school in a statement to WPVI said, "The District does not condone the withholding of earned diplomas based on family members cheering for their graduates. We apologize to all the families and graduates who were impacted and are further looking into this matter to avoid it happening in the future."