It’s a seminal moment in so many people’s lives. One they will remember and cherish forever.

Approximately 1,100 students will live that moment and achieve their dream of graduating high school today, Thursday, June 2. Their names will be announced as they proudly walk across the stage in front of their parents and friends at Granada Hills Charter High School in California.

Yet, in another sign of the nation’s growing cruelty toward our children, another 70 students are barred from attending due to their vaccination status and will have to watch remotely. Eight of those kids are special needs students.

Simply put, no vax card, no entry.

The worst part: Granada Hills Charter does not have to do this. The Los Angeles Unified School District has delayed its vaccination mandate until July 1, 2023, but Granada Hills is choosing its own, stricter—more punitive—path.

Some parents and students are not happy, holding a demonstration Tuesday to show their outrage over the decision:

Parents and students rallied outside of Granada Hills Charter High School on Tuesday to protest a policy that will bar unvaccinated students from participating in graduation ceremonies.

https://t.co/YvoqQvn2lN

— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) May 31, 2022

Says parent Tom Luna in the Los Angeles Daily News: “We thought we were doing the best for (my son), which we were, but the school let him down. They let us down as parents.”  Mom Parisa Fishback, cofounder of a group called Moms on the Ground, was angry too:

What Granada Hills charter high school has done to its graduating seniors is egregious and unconstitutional by both state and federal standards. We will hold them accountable in every way possible. For now, we march for the kids that they will not allow to walk.

The school claims that they are doing the right thing by “following the science.” It seems that whenever you hear that phrase lately, it means that punishments and shaming are soon to follow.

 “Our board stands by the science that indicates that vaccination is the most effective and best tool available to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safest learning environment possible,” the school said in a statement.  “Our commitment to safety is ever more important as COVID-19 cases are spiking again, and the prospect of outbreaks and new variants is significant.”

According to the school, 99 percent of eligible students have been vaccinated.

The punitive move against the other one percent comes as vaccine efficacy is increasingly being questioned and studies are coming out showing the devastating effects pandemic policies have had on our children. A massive loss in learning has been reported for our students, overdose deaths have skyrocketed, as has the number of suicides. Our mental health as a nation has been on a serious decline, especially among our youth.

So what do you do if you’re Granada Hills Charter? You punish our kids just a little bit more.

It’s sick, how we’ve sold out our young to protect the old. The young have a very small chance of serious illness from COVID, and they could be tested before graduation. There’s no logical, scientific reason to ban them from a ceremony which will be held outside. Straight from the CDC: “If you want to spend time with people who don’t live with you, outdoors is the safer choice. You are less likely to be exposed to COVID-19 during outdoor activities, even without the use of masks.” (Bold emphasis mine.)

Graduation Rehearsal, Day 2 #ghcTK12 #highschool #seniors #graduation pic.twitter.com/L5vYZxPwqn

— Granada Hills Charter (@ghctk12) June 1, 2022

If you’re noticing a certain level of anger from me, you’re not wrong. My own son worked hard to graduate college, but the ceremony was canceled in the first year of COVID. It was heartbreaking, and he will never get that back. These Granada Hills kids will be scarred for life.

Those were different times, I know, but to bar these kids now from one of the most important events in their lives now is simply… abuse.