Last week, the school held a mandatory graduation rehearsal. Anderson said he was on his way there when the brakes went out on his car.
KNOX COUNTY, Ohio — Alex Anderson was excited for his moment to walk across the graduation stage with his classmates at East Knox High School in Howard, Ohio, a milestone marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
Last week, the school held a mandatory graduation rehearsal. Anderson said he was on his way there when the brakes went out on his car.
“I had to swerve across the road to stop, and I had my siblings and girlfriend in the car,” he said. “I was scared for their lives.”
Anderson said he turned around and slowly drove home. Eventually, his father took him to school, and he tried to explain to the principal why he was late.
“I explained to them my brakes were not working at all, and she said that I was not able to walk because I missed practice,” he said.
Anderson said at first he thought it was a joke.
“I realized it was serious, and it got me pretty upset and mad, and this all happened on my birthday too,” he said.
Ohio TV station WBNS reached out to the school district to ask about Alex’s situation.
Superintendent Richard Baird sent a statement saying, “Due to state and federal privacy laws, the district cannot discuss individual student matters.”
WBNS followed up, asking about the graduation rehearsal policy and was still waiting for a response.
Anderson said the school offered him a private ceremony, which he declined.
“Just really upsetting, heartbreaking. I lost my moment at my home school, and there is nothing I can really do about it,” he said.