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Post Info TOPIC: High school refuses to recognize dead student at graduation ceremony because it wants to 'maintain a happy, vibrant feel
Lady Gaga Snerd


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High school refuses to recognize dead student at graduation ceremony because it wants to 'maintain a happy, vibrant feel
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North Carolina high school refuses to recognize dead student at graduation ceremony because it wants to 'maintain a happy, vibrant feel'

  • Rachel Rosoff was fatally electrocuted in a pool last September
  • Her parents appealed to William G. Enloe Magnet High School to recognize their daughter but were left disappointed when the school rejected their request
  • Principal Will Chavis shared in an email that remembering Rachel would cause students to 'react in a way that would take trained professionals to support'
  • Rachel's sister, Jordana Rosoff, created a Change.org in retaliation
  • The family is suing companies Williams Electric Motor Repair and Future Connections Electrical Inc, claiming they failed to make repairs from 2011 on

By Matthew Wright For Dailymail.com

PUBLISHED: 00:27 EDT, 9 May 2017 | UPDATED: 02:54 EDT, 9 May 2017

 

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A North Carolina high school has denied a family's plea to recognize their dead daughter's name at the school's graduation ceremony.

The parents of Rachel Rosoff, 17, who was fatally electrocuted in a pool last September, appealed to William G. Enloe Magnet High School to recognize their daughter but were left disappointed when the school rejected their request.

In an email to sent to the girl's mother Michelle Schwartz Rosoff, Principal Will Chavis shared that he felt that remembering Rachel would potentially cause students to 'react in a way that would take trained professionals to support.'

Rachel Rosoff (pictured) drowned in September after she was electrocuted while getting ready to start her shift at the pool in Raleigh
 
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Her colleague arrived later and found her face down in the pool but suffered an electric shock trying to help her
 
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The parents of Rachel Rosoff - who was fatally electrocuted in a pool last September - appealed to William G. Enloe Magnet High School to recognize their daughter at graduation but were left disappointed when the school rejected their request

Rachel's mother, Michelle Schwartz Rosoff (pictured left), received an email from Principal Will Chavis saying that paying homage to Rachel (right) would potentially cause students to 'react in a way that would take trained professionals to support'
 
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Rachel's mother, Michelle Schwartz Rosoff (pictured left), received an email from Principal Will Chavis saying that paying homage to Rachel (right) would potentially cause students to 'react in a way that would take trained professionals to support'

'Because Graduation is meant to be a ceremony for students' accomplishments and a celebration thereof, we want to ensure that the ceremony maintains a happy, vibrant feel,' wrote Chavis in the email that was shared on Facebook on May 3
 
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'Because Graduation is meant to be a ceremony for students' accomplishments and a celebration thereof, we want to ensure that the ceremony maintains a happy, vibrant feel,' wrote Chavis in the email that was shared on Facebook on May 3

'Because Graduation is meant to be a ceremony for students' accomplishments and a celebration thereof, we want to ensure that the ceremony maintains a happy, vibrant feel,' wrote Chavis in the email that was shared on Facebook on May 3.

Rachel's sister, Jordana Rosoff, created a Change.org in retaliation hoping to raise awareness her family's struggle. The petition needs less than 200 signatures to meet its 7,500 mark.

'They want to pretend she did not exist, which not only hurts me, but my family and her friends,' she said in the post.

'This is so hurtful and wrong. I just want my sister to be recognized and acknowledged for the beautiful, goofy, funny, care free, caring person she was. She lived her life in a way we can all learn from, she was truly exceptional.'

Rachel's sister, Jordana Rosoff, created a Change.org in retaliation to the school's (pictured) response
 
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Rachel's sister, Jordana Rosoff, created a Change.org in retaliation to the school's (pictured) response

'They want to pretend she did not exist, which not only hurts me, but my family and her friends,' she said in the post
 
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'They want to pretend she did not exist, which not only hurts me, but my family and her friends,' she said in the post

She added: 'This is so hurtful and wrong. I just want my sister (pictured) to be recognized and acknowledged for the beautiful, goofy, funny, care free,caring person she was. She lived her life in a way we can all learn from, she was truly exceptional'
 
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She added: 'This is so hurtful and wrong. I just want my sister (pictured) to be recognized and acknowledged for the beautiful, goofy, funny, care free,caring person she was. She lived her life in a way we can all learn from, she was truly exceptional'

In an interview with news channel WRAL, student Alissa Brasington voiced her discontent with the decision. 

'I think we are old enough to be okay and understand what is going on,' Brasington said. 

'I think we'll be okay if they mention her. It will actually be better than if they don't mention her.' 

Rachel Rosoff drowned in September after she was electrocuted while getting ready to start her shift at the pool in Raleigh.

Her colleague arrived later and found her face down in the pool. When he tried to resuscitate her he too suffered an electric shock but survived.

An inspection by Wake County found the shock was caused by wires in the ground installed almost 40 years ago. 

An inspection by Wake County found the shock was caused by wires in the ground installed almost 40 years ago
 
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An inspection by Wake County found the shock was caused by wires in the ground installed almost 40 years ago

Rachel's parents are now suing two companies, Williams Electric Motor Repair and Future Connections Electrical Inc, and claimed they failed to make repairs dating back to 2011
 
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Rachel's parents are now suing two companies, Williams Electric Motor Repair and Future Connections Electrical Inc, and claimed they failed to make repairs dating back to 2011

The New York Daily News reported her parents are now suing two companies, Williams Electric Motor Repair and Future Connections Electrical Inc, claiming they failed to make repairs dating back to 2011.

Their attorney, David Kirby, told ABC11: 'They knew of discovered conditions which were dangerous at this pool, and they didn't correct them.'

He saidL 'This was a horrible death. She was paralyzed by the electricity, but she consciously drowned.'

The lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court this week, alleges Future Connections installed the wrong capacitor in the pool's pump motor. 



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4486836/High-school-refuses-recognizing-dead-student-graduation.html#ixzz4gZnPB1nU 
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Lindley


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That is just silly. Our school her where I live is very small, my dd's class lost a classmate in a car accident and they honored him at their graduation. My son's classmate died of cancer in jr.high and they also honored him at their H.S. graduation. Kids are a lot more stronger then people give them credit for. Honestly it seems like those who are running schools anymore lack common sense.

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Let's cuddle the special snowflake s even more so they won't ever learn how to deal with grief and disappointment

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Lawyerlady


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I bet if you did a poll, the kids would want to honor her.

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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:

Let's cuddle the special snowflake s even more so they won't ever learn how to deal with grief and disappointment

 It doesn't sound like the kids are the special snowflakes here...



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But they're trying to turn them into special snowflakes by not letting them face the reality of death.

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Lindley


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Lawyerlady wrote:

I bet if you did a poll, the kids would want to honor her.

 I will even bet that they would go rogue and find a way to include her. There was a school here that decided to exclude the Prayer from the ceremon, at the end of the ceremony the whole senior class stood up and recited the Lords Prayer.



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Lady Gaga Snerd


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One of the kids in my son's class committed suicide. So, the answer to that by the school was simply to pretend he never existed. I can understand you don't to glorify suicide. However, his life mattered as a human being. The life of this girl mattered as a human being. Our lives as human beings are messy. We can celebrate and love those who passed, even if they didn't die in the most politically correct way.

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lilyofcourse


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I'm torn.

Our graduating class had 3 die in an accident and 1 was murdered.

The yearbook and the graduation program were dedicated to them.

There was no big space or emotional anything. But they were honored.

We didn't do anything bigger because it was a celebration for the living, not a memorial for the dead.

 

The year Caitlyn graduated, there were 2 deaths, one death the year Jesse graduated. 

They did the same thing, yearbook and program dedicated to them.

 

 

 



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The vast majority of the students and all of the parents are ADULTS. When does the government stop trying to "protect" us from the messiness that is life?

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Lady Gaga Snerd


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lilyofcourse wrote:

I'm torn.

Our graduating class had 3 die in an accident and 1 was murdered.

The yearbook and the graduation program were dedicated to them.

There was no big space or emotional anything. But they were honored.

We didn't do anything bigger because it was a celebration for the living, not a memorial for the dead.

 

The year Caitlyn graduated, there were 2 deaths, one death the year Jesse graduated. 

They did the same thing, yearbook and program dedicated to them.

 

 

 I am not saying that there needs to be some over the top emotional performance.  Just a simply "Posthumously awarded degree" .  Something brief of announcing their names and let the parents go on stage and accept the degree.  Graduation is usually a pretty long ceremony.  A few min to remember the life of a classmate doesnt' seem to be asking too much.

 



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Mary Zombie


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They could do something to remember her. It's not like they can stop them

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Lady Gaga Snerd


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When I graduated, there was an acknowledgement of one boy who died of leukemia in 4th grade. We all remembered him. That was very nice.

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Tinydancer wrote:

But they're trying to turn them into special snowflakes by not letting them face the reality of death.

 That's actually what I meant.



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biggrin



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just Czech


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The school board needs trained professionals to slap them up the back of the head.

Good golly, life and death happen. Seniors in high school should be able to handle that reality. If they can't, to damn bad. The coddled babies have a really rude reality ahead of them.

The school must be in a blue area..

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My sophomore year, 2 of our color guard girls died in an accident coming back from a completion. It was horrible. The girls that lived literally watch the other two die. One of the girls was horribly injured and they were not sure that she was going to live. She did, but she was never the same.

Well come graduation night, her father WALKS her in to get her diploma. She was NEVER supposed to walk! And few people had actually seen her in the two years since the accident. Not a DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE.

It was an honorary degree, but at least she was able to get that. She was so happy! I will never forget that...

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Hell, we had a Mass for my MIL and the boys were aware and handled it just fine. Death is a part of life. Hopefully it won't come soon, but children need to have the life skills to cope with the loss of a loved one, much less a classmate.

This girl did not go on a shooting rampage then get killed in the process. She died from an accident. They should absolutely have a moment of silence for anyone who might have died in the school that year. It teaches the kids respect, which is a lost art.

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flan327


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just Czech wrote:

The school board needs trained professionals to slap them up the back of the head.

Good golly, life and death happen. Seniors in high school should be able to handle that reality. If they can't, to damn bad. The coddled babies have a really rude reality ahead of them.

The school must be in a blue area..

 But the STUDENTS aren't the ones who made this stupid decision.

Any other insults?

flan



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flan327


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Lawyerlady wrote:

I bet if you did a poll, the kids would want to honor her.

 

flan



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