Grad’s Stage Split Costs Her a Diploma

An 18-year-old Chicago high school graduate’s celebratory dance move turned a milestone moment into a disciplinary dispute, leaving her in tears and without her diploma.

​Tyvion Campbell, a senior at Chicago Tech Academy, was escorted out of her graduation ceremony at the Harold Washington Cultural Center after dropping into a split while walking across the stage.

​The incident, which quickly went viral, occurred after Campbell waved to family and friends in the audience. While her dramatic dance move drew cheers from the crowd, it met with immediate disapproval from school administrators, who refused to hand Campbell her diploma as she crossed the stage.

​”I tried to reach for my diploma, and I didn’t get it,” Campbell told FOX 32 Chicago. “I was confused at first. I thought they mixed up my name.”

​Instead of celebrating with her peers, Campbell claimed she was reprimanded by the school’s principal, Zataya Shackelford. According to the graduate, Shackelford told her she needed to find a way to make up for her actions, asserting that Campbell had made a collective celebratory moment entirely about herself.

​Campbell, who graduated with a 3.5 GPA and plans to study business administration at Georgia State University, expressed deep disappointment over the school’s harsh response, noting that there was no specific policy prohibiting dance moves or splits on stage.

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​”It was disappointing,” Campbell said. “It really hurt my feelings. I cried and I couldn’t even continue the graduation.”

​Chicago Tech Academy has not yet publicly commented on the incident or clarified when Campbell will receive her official diploma.