UPDATE:

Damien Memorial School’s president has reversed course after abruptly canceling the school’s virtual graduation ceremony when students petitioned for an in-person gathering in the summer.

This afternoon, a school counselor sent an email on behalf of Brother Brian Walsh to the graduates, that offered to restore the graduation ceremony if the student petitioners recanted.

“Br. Walsh is willing to have the Virtual Graduation plans go back on if you agree to reject the letter you had signed,” the email said.

Apparently, that tactic worked. Some students took to social media this afternoon, pushing their peers to remove their names from the petition. Later today, Walsh sent a new email saying the ceremonies would be held after all.

“Today I had the benefit of communication with the Damien Memorial Student Government Association and almost all members of the Class of 2020 who signed the letter I received and forwarded to you,” Walsh wrote today.

“It is to be hoped that the past few days were a ‘teachable moment’ for us all,” he concluded.

As originally announced, a virtual ceremony will be streamed to students’ homes at 11 a.m. Sunday from the school’s campus in Kalihi, with speeches by administrators and students, followed by a drive-by diploma pickup that afternoon.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Damien Memorial School’s president has abruptly canceled Sunday’s virtual graduation and drive-by diploma pickup in response to a petition from nearly half the Class of 2020 asking for an in-person ceremony.

Brother Brian Walsh sent a terse email to seniors and their parents Monday saying none of the school’s commencement events would take place, in response to the letter signed by 42 students, along with some parents and alumni.

“He’s canceled everything — he’s not giving the kids a graduation,” said parent Helen Barsby, whose daughter is a senior but did not sign the petition. “It’s like a temper tantrum, an adult temper tantrum.”

School staff had planned to make personal deliveries of caps and gowns to each of the 91 seniors today but those were also called off at the last minute.

A virtual ceremony was set to be streamed to students’ homes at 11 a.m. Sunday from the school’s campus in Kalihi, with speeches by administrators and students, followed by a drive-by diploma pickup that afternoon.

In their letter to Damien administration, the students wrote that they were disappointed in those plans and suggested a gathering in July or early August on the school field. They gave examples of how some other schools were handling commencement during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Saint Louis and ‘Iolani School.

Matthew Mason, whose son is in the graduating class, said the cancellation came as a complete shock. He and his family weren’t even aware of the petition, which Walsh appended at the bottom of his email and that Mason described as “very polite.”

“They were just asking for an opportunity if it arises to do something on campus,” Mason said. “It seems like the administration took that letter and went in a completely different direction. Instead of saying, yes, let’s look for an opportunity if we can to put together some kind of formal ceremony, we are just going to trash the plans we currently have, and everything will be in up in the air. Right now no one knows what’s going on.”

“They are affecting all of the students, all of their families and their extended families,” Mason said. “Everybody really celebrates graduation. This is a really big deal for all of our kids.”

Today, a school counselor sent an email to the graduates on behalf of Walsh offering to restore the ceremony if the petitioners recanted. “Br. Walsh is willing to have the Virtual Graduation plans go back on if you agree to reject the letter you had signed,” the email said.

Barsby said she found that shocking.

“It was sent to minors, not the parents,” she said in an interview. “You can’t do that — that is extortion. What are we teaching our kids? We tell them to stand up and be a leader.”

Seniors had finished their finals last week and are off this week. The latest email from the counselor prompted some to pressure each other on social media.

“Graduation is a school event, not an event held by parents or by students,” Walsh wrote in his announcement Monday. “It is an event held for parents and for students but not by parents or by students.”

He wrote that the students’ letter had effectively “rejected” the graduation events planned by the school.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser called and left messages but received no response from Walsh or other school administrators.

Parents said they had no response either when they called and messaged school administrators and faculty.

Walsh was appointed in January 2019 after the school’s owner, the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America, removed his predecessor, Wes Porter, citing local efforts to separate the school from the governance of the Christian Brothers.

The chairman of the school’s board of directors was also removed at that time and the school’s Sponsor Council was dissolved. Damien’s website no longer lists any members of its Board of Directors.

“He’s got no checks and balances,” Barsby said.

Damien educates more than 720 boys and girls in grades six through 12 at its campus in Kalihi. Walsh came to the school after serving as president of Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J.