Two Tennessee high schools are facing backlash after pushing ahead with outdoor graduation ceremonies in torrential rain, leaving students and families soaked and furious. Students at Centennial High School and Franklin High School trudged across the stage in the pouring rain Thursday night as family members sat through a drenching downpour to watch their children become high school graduates. According to Victoria Burls, whose daughter Gabriella was one of the Centennial High School graduates, said the rain got so bad that she was worried about people slipping in the bleachers. The weather was so bad that Gabriella is already planning to redo her graduation photos. The rain also forced parts of the ceremony to be scrapped entirely. Many parents took to social media to express their anger at the schools not organizing the graduation indoors. Williamson County School Superintendent Jason Golden acknowledged that the rain made graduations at Centennial and Franklin challenging, but defended the outdoor setting, saying many schools hold ceremonies on football fields because families find it meaningful to celebrate on campus and because it allows more loved ones to attend. Parents simply aren’t buying that, chalking the incident up to poor planning.
