Outrage Erupts After School Allows Karmelo Anthony to Graduate Despite Serious Charges
From TheQuartering News Desk
We’ve been covering the disturbing developments in the case surrounding Karmelo Anthony, who is accused of taking the life of fellow student Austin Mechaf. The latest news, which we reported on our channel, has sparked widespread outrage: the Frisco ISD school district has made a special exception allowing Karmelo Anthony to receive his high school diploma.
This decision comes despite Karmelo being charged in the death of Austin Mechaf. Many in the community, including the victim’s father, are questioning why the school would bend its own rules for someone facing such serious accusations.
Austin Mechaf’s father went directly to the school building demanding a meeting and an explanation for this baffling decision. Shockingly, he was reportedly rejected a meeting and denied any answers as to why Karmelo was being allowed to graduate. He expressed that he felt “stonewalled” by the school district. He highlighted that he looked at the school’s own policy manual regarding mandatory expulsion and graduation and was curious how they arrived at their decision, especially since the policy states no student who commits a serious criminal offense is permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony.
The controversy is further fueled by the fact that Karmelo Anthony has reportedly received over $530,000 through online fundraising efforts. We’ve observed that comments on fundraising platforms like GiveSendGo included disturbing sentiments, with some celebrating the taking of a young white man’s life. While some comments could be trolls, many we read appeared clearly not to be. There was even a call from one individual suggesting the erection of statues of “King Karmelo Anthony” across the southern US. The fundraising platform reportedly removed the ability for comments on donations, not just for Karmelo but also for another individual named Shiloh, due to the nature of the comments.
Community members have voiced their strong disapproval. We’ve seen an open letter sent to the Frisco ISD trustees and administration, criticizing the decision to honor Karmelo with a diploma. The letter writer stated that this move sends a “nasty message” to students, parents, and voters, and that the school clearly taught Karmelo nothing about the value of life or how to behave in society. The letter argued that the school’s prior suspension of Karmelo clearly fell short, and that the school should reverse its decision immediately. The letter suggested that race baiters influenced this “silly side of your decision-making abilities”.
While the district superintendent, Mike Waldrip, posted a message making it clear that Karmelo Anthony would not be allowed to attend the graduation ceremony itself, sources indicate he will still receive his diploma later. The school attempted to soft-pitch this by mentioning restrictions, but as we see it, getting the diploma is the main point, and the message it sends to the public is clear. This matters because he still gets the diploma, which allows him to celebrate something that Austin Mechaf never will. It’s been reported that Karmelo’s GPA was high enough to meet graduation requirements despite missing the last month of school.
School district sources have indicated that in cases where a student has completed graduation requirements and is facing expulsion, Frisco ISD typically offers early graduation as an alternative to placement in a juvenile justice alternative education program. This might explain the mechanism for his receiving the diploma.
The incident that led to Austin Mechaf’s death occurred about 6 weeks prior, described by authorities as an altercation between the two 17-year-olds at a track meet inside a Frisco ISD stadium, resulting in one stabbing the other in the chest. Karmelo’s parents claim their son was defending himself and requested the district allow him to get his diploma. Sources say a confidential agreement was reached allowing this.
There are concerns about potential demonstrations at the graduation ceremony. We hope the victim’s father and the student body levels some level of protest or shows disdain for this decision. An online petition has started suggesting that Austin Mechaf should be awarded an honorary diploma next year when he would have graduated with his twin brother. While a nice gesture, the father noted that it doesn’t bring his son back.
The fact remains: Karmelo Anthony, despite being charged in the death of a fellow student, is being allowed to graduate. This sends a troubling message.
