Buckhorn Bars Student From Graduation Ceremony

She earned all her credits, passed every exam and stayed out of trouble. But a Buckhorn high school graduate was kept out of her graduation ceremony due to community service.

Lee Ann Morrow thought she would be walking across the stage with all her other classmates at graduation Tuesday night. But Morrow says the day before the ceremony Buckhorn officials informed her that she would not be allowed to attend because she had failed to complete 12 hours of mandatory community service. The school requires all outgoing seniors to complete community service in order to attend graduation ceremony.


Morrow said she completed 20 hours of community service at the school earlier this year, and had it verified on a written statement signed by teachers. But the school said those hours did not count because they were performed during school hours, not after. Lee Ann and her mom say no one at Buckhorn told them of the disqualifier until Monday night, the day before graduation.

"It was devastating," said Morrow. "I had to call and uninvite my friends and family to my graduation. I had to call 30 or 40 people and tell them I wasn't going to graduate (with classmates). If we want to do community service that's fine, but it shouldn't be required to get our diploma and be required to walk across the stage. We went to school for 13 years just to walk across the stage. I don't think it's fair at all."

Buckhorn principal Tommy Ledbetter disputes the claims made by Morrow and her mother. He said parents and students were notified about the requirements several times throughout the year.

"Out of 240 students, we only had one who did not do their community service," said Ledbetter. "Within the last six weeks we met with the senior class. We talked to them about all their requirements to participate, we've gone over all of it."

Buckhorn started making community service mandatory for graduation day last year. Ledbetter says principals in Madison County are able to shape graduation ceremony policy at their own discretion. No other school in the county has the community service requirement, and Buckhorn's student handbook does not have anything in writing on the requirements to participate in graduation day. Lee Ann Morrow picked up her diploma from the school on Wednesday, the day after graduation.