Halifax students barred from graduation after water balloon fight

Parents and students said they are disappointed and claim the school's handling of the situation and punishment was unfair.

Latoya Lawrence said her son, Re'Quandre, was dressed and ready for the graduation ceremony on Monday.

"Every parent wants to see their child take that final walk to say, I made it, you know, I made it," Lawrence said.

"When I get out of the car, he said 'She's not letting me walk,'" Lawrence said.

Lawrence said Re'Quandre and roughly a dozen other students were pulled out of the procession line and told they were not allowed to walk the stage.

She said the students had taken part in a water balloon fight during graduation practice at Halifax Community College on Friday. She claims the students were not told the consequence until they arrived at the ceremony on Monday.

"We begged. We pleaded: ‘Please let them walk.’ This is the day they had been waiting for. She would not let them walk. She said she had it on tape, and it was either press charges or not let them walk.

Lawrence's son said teachers and administrators were present during the water balloon fight and never mentioned disciplinary action.

WRAL asked district leaders about the circumstances surrounding the decision not to let the students walk.

The response was directed to an online statement, which says diplomas will be granted once transcript verification has been completed for each student and that graduates will receive their diplomas around June 22.