South Side seniors create petition to honor classmates at graduation

JACKSON, Tenn. — Students at South Side High School have created a petition asking the principal to reconsider her denial of their request to honor their classmates at graduation.

The petition, created by South Side High School senior Anna Gonzales, is asking for the graduating class to have empty chairs and a moment of silence during their graduation ceremony in order to honor two classmates the have died during the school year.

“As our senior year started, we lost two of our fellow Hawks. Brayden Wilkerson on July 14^th and Evan Scott on August 13. As graduation is quickly approaching, I’ve asked our principal, school board, and the Superintendent Office if Brayden and Evan would be honored and remembered at our graduation. I asked to discuss what we could do at graduation to honor them and support their family and friends during this time of grief. I’ve had one response from a School Board member and a response from our Principal,” according to the petition.

The petition, that currently has over 1,300 signatures, continues by reading, “I am asking the future graduates of South Side if they will help me and their friends sign a petition stating that it is their wish for a moment of silence to be held for all the tragedies the Hawks have faced this year, and a open chair where Brayden Wilkerson and Evan Scott would be sitting if they were still with us today.”

Greg Hammond, Chief of Public Information for Jackson-Madison County School System, said, “The Superintendent rarely comments on school level issues. Each principal has autonomy in most situations to make decisions when Board policy does not address a particular situation.”

School Board Member Debbie Gaugh said it is her hope that there could be a way the students can be honored. “I am aware of the passing of some members of the South Side High School’s Class of 2025. I hope we can find a way to acknowledge their memory and recognize the grief of their families and classmates,” said Gaugh.

Dr. Shari Baldwin, South Side High School principal, said the school will honor the memory of the students prior to graduation day but will not allow the empty chairs and moment of silence at graduation that the students requested.

In a statement released by Dr. Baldwin she said, “Both achievement and heartache have marked the 2024-2025 school year for the South Side High School family. As a community, we have endured the tragic loss of four students, and their absence is deeply felt by classmates, faculty, and families alike.

The grieving process has unfolded over many months through moments both public and private, as our students and staff have leaned on one another for strength, healing, and remembrance. The school has prepared ways to recognize the memory of the students that we’ve lost and their families in the days before graduation. The Class of 2025 has carried both grief and hope throughout this year, and we honor that journey by giving them a graduation moment centered on their perseverance and achievement.

Graduation is a culminating milestone – a time to celebrate the resilience, growth, and accomplishments of the 217 remarkable students who make up the Class of 2025. In keeping with longstanding precedent, the graduation ceremony will focus on honoring those students as they prepare to take their next steps forward.

The strength our school community has shown in the face of tragedy is a testament to the deep bonds that continue to exist within our halls. We thank our community for understanding the spirit and intention behind this important decision.”

South Side High School graduation will be May 12.