In another of those unplanned, spontaneous entries that are becoming increasingly common in this web log, I must ask your indulgence again. I do offer my apologies with a promise to finish Part Two of the "Death of Delayed Gratification" by the weekend.

Apparently, civility and common courtesy took it on the chin again this week.

In yet another case of spontaneous incivility trumps rules-and-regulations, the Galesberg, Illinois school board has relented and awarded diplomas to the students denied these documents at the school’s official ceremony on May 27^th. This occurred, one must assume, after the threat of legal action was made by the families of the students involved. Here’s how the story, as I can decipher it, goes:

At the graduation ceremonies in 2005, students became boisterous and disruptive (including air horns, and loud cheering) that, in the minds of the school board, took some of the "pomp and circumstance" away from the graduation ceremony. For the current graduation, "contracts" were sent home with the graduating seniors for they and their parents to sign. In these agreements, attendees were warned of the consequences of loud or disruptive behavior and clearly told that diplomas would be withheld from offending students.

Mind you, withholding a diploma had no bearing on the graduating status of the seniors. Without a diploma in hand, they would be carried on the school registry as completing requirements for graduation and bona fide high school graduates. They would simply be sans parchment.

All of the seniors and their families freely signed the contracts with the school board and attested to their understanding of the rules to be followed and the consequences that would be incurred if the rules were broken.

Well, therein lies the tale. At the formal ceremony, the announcement of 5 students to receive diplomas elicited approving cheers and "huzzahs" from the crowd. Since this broke the aforementioned rules, these students were not given their diplomas. Still high school graduates, transcripts available for the asking, remember, but no parchment. [By the way, do you have a clue where your high school diplomas is?]

In their angst, the families formed a "group" of the offended students and demanded they be given their diplomas. Apparently, the contract – signed by all involved – was unilaterally and arbitrarily declared null and nonbonding.

Enter a "concerned local attorney," stage left.

With the specter of thousands of dollars in legal costs that schools can use for better things, the school board has, predictably, backed down. Rules? Not worth it. Contracts? Not worth the paper they are written on. Expecting high school students and families to have a modicum of respect for a right of passage? Priceless.

Addendum (06/07/07: 18:30EDT): Like a vampire, this story hard to kill. I will end with this snippet from the latest report of this travesty. From Jan Dennis reporting for the Associated Press:

"Peoria attorney XXXX XXXX [name deleted by me], who took the students' case at no cost, sent a letter late Tuesday threatening to sue the district if officials did not apologize and deliver the diplomas by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

"They met with the families two or three times and had a chance to get this thing right," XXXXX said. "I've been involved less than 24 hours, and now they have their diplomas, so you draw your own conclusions."

"Parent Pam Kelley said she was disappointed that school officials did not apologize and that her daughter, Amanda, was handed the diploma by a high school secretary, not principal Tom Chiles.

"At least he could have come out and shook her hand and said congratulations," Kelley said.

My (hopefully) final comment: What a society we have created for ourselves and our posterity.