Philadelphia High School Principal Witholds Diplomas From Graduating Seniors For Celebrating

The principal of the Philadelphia High School for Girls has come under fire for seemingly withholding a student’s diploma on stage after she danced as she crossed. The graduation ceremony went viral online, showing the June 9 event, and online watchers and local parents are calling for the principal’s termination for her treatment of the senior Hafsah Abdur-Rahman. 

Abdur-Rahman told ABC 6, “If they thought that I shouldn’t do The Griddy across the stage and do the Girls’ High traditions, nobody should have been able to wave or blow kisses or do period signs because I feel like that’s the same thing. I feel like that’s unfair,” she added. 

Despite Abdur-Rahman’s feeling of being singled out, new videos showed that Principal Lisa M. Mesi had also withheld the diploma from a few other students.

The footage showed two other teens having their diplomas denied. They showed a second girl waving at her family as she crossed the stage and a third young lady pointing up toward the sky in celebration; both were denied their diploma. The event photographer also refrained from taking their photos as well.

The Philadelphia School District released a statement addressing Principal Mesi’s actions during the graduation ceremony. It read, “During Friday’s Girls’ High graduation, the school administration chose to give a few graduates their diplomas directly after graduation versus on the stage due to the school’s graduation guidelines. 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.”