No flowers, no gifts, no balloons: CMS rolls out new graduation rules

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To prepare for graduation ceremonies happening across Charlotte this weekend, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released a list of rules for family and friends attending the ceremonies.

According to the school district, guests are not allowed to bring flowers, gifts or balloons. They are also prohibited from bringing air horns or noisemakers to the ceremony.

Guests will be checked with a metal detector before entering the venue, CMS officials said.

CMS is also asking guests to keep cheering to a minimum.

While many parents and family members will be upset by the rules, other school districts in the Carolinas are taking those rules a step further this year.

Parents in Pitt County were forced to sign a pledge that said guests would be asked to leave if they do not control their yelling and noise making during graduation exercises.

In South Carolina, one mother was handcuffed for cheering during her daughter’s graduation.

“I can’t applaud her, letting her know, ‘Yes, I’m so proud of you,’ like all the other years when people graduate? How can I not cheer for my child?” asked Shannon Cooper.

The mother stayed in a Florence jail for several hours before paying a $225 bail.

She was charged with disorderly conduct.

WSOC