In central Iowa’s Jasper County, the Lynnville-Sully High School graduation is tonight at 7 o’clock. The big question is — how many of the class of 46 will show up.A dozen seniors are barred from the ceremony. It’s punishment after last week’s school-sponsored senior trip to Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, where the 18-year-old boys went to a strip club. They told a chaperone they were headed to a mall instead. Parents and students protested the ruling at last night’s school board meeting, to no avail. Superintendent Dr. Tony Spencer says it’s unfortunate but his decision stands. He says there’s a difference in opinion on the punishment.One of the senior boys who’s been punished is Matt Vander Pohl.Vander Pohl says he thinks everyone in his class is disappointed, and while he admits their trip to the strip club was wrong, he believes the punishment is too harsh. After hearing from the boys and their parents last night, the Lynnville-Sully school board decided the boys may not go up on stage during tonight’s ceremony and their names will not be read aloud with the rest of the graduating seniors. Many other graduating seniors now say they’ll skip tonight’s ceremony in protest.
