Howard University Graduation Disrupted: Angry Families Force Abrupt End.
Howard University had to cancel a graduation ceremony as angry relatives started banging on doors and smashing windows when the auditorium reached full capacity. The College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences ceremony was halted before the keynote address due to space constraints at the Cramton Auditorium in Washington, DC. Videos showed graduates’ relatives chanting “Let us in” as they pounded on the doors during Thursday’s ceremony.
Images depicted a broken glass door as irate relatives attempted to force their entry past security. According to officials in DC, at least one individual was injured during the chaos. Reports suggest the injured party, a student, received treatment for a cut.
Dean Gina Brown of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences announced that the fire department had ordered the ceremony’s shutdown. “Because of the room’s size and concerns over the behavior of some attendees, the fire department is here to close the event,” she stated. However, the DC Fire Department refuted this claim, asserting, “D.C. Fire and EMS did not shut down tonight’s event.” They clarified that they responded to a medical incident at the Cramton Auditorium following a request from campus police at 6:42 p.m.
The patient was assessed and declined transportation, prompting the departure of D.C. Fire and EMS. Howard University later stated that an individual had been escorted out of the building before the ceremony, returning later to break a window. According to the school’s statement, “This incident caused a disturbance among attendees outside the venue, leading to a disruption of the program. Guests present were promptly dispersed following the altercation.” Graduate Halle Ragoonanan expressed her disappointment to NBC Washington, sharing her heartbreak at being unable to walk across the stage to receive her diploma in front of her family, especially after graduating high school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t able to walk for either her high school or college graduations, especially after achieving magna cum laude honors. This disruption adds to the challenges many have faced during these ceremonies. At Duke University, students protested the guest speaker, Jerry Seinfeld, due to his support for Israel amid the recent conflict in Gaza, highlighting the broader societal tensions affecting such events.
