Wild fight erupts at Tennessee high school graduation as 11 people are arrested

Published: 21:44, 25 May 2026 | Updated: 21:48, 25 May 2026 A high school graduation in Tennessee was ruined after several fights broke out, resulting in nearly a dozen arrests. Multiple fights unfolded at Ripley High School's ceremony on May 14, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office. Officials said on Thursday that most individuals involved in the brawl are now in custody, after most suspects turned themselves in. Seven men, three juveniles, and one woman were all hit with charges in connection to the incident.  Disappointed officials wrote a stern statement on Facebook following the brawl. 'Tonight should have been one of the proudest moments in the lives of many young men and women in our community,' said officers. 'Instead, what should have been a celebration of hard work, dedication, and achievement at Ripley High School was disrupted by the selfish and disgraceful actions of a group of individuals who chose to engage in multiple fights during the graduation ceremony.' The sheriff's office added that the graduates worked for years to earn their diplomas as their families came to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. Multiple fights broke out at Ripley High School's ceremony in Tennessee on May 14 A total of 11 arrests were made majority were charged Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct (Kenteavious Washington, top left, Charlie Rogers, top right, pictured)  Nygel Lattimore, bottom left, Damien Lattimore, bottom right pictured Seven men, a woman, and three juveniles were arrested (Za’Darius Smith, top left, Devontae Robertson, top right, pictured) Jordan Bonds, bottom left, Stephanie Scott, bottom right 'It is a shame that a handful of cowardly individuals chose to rob them of a moment they had earned through years of effort and perseverance,' said officials.  A strict 10pm curfew was enforced on the day of the incident. Footage from the ceremony showed a chaotic scene, with chairs scattered across the school's gymnasium, as it appeared that both family members and students participated in the fight. The person recording can be heard saying: 'You can't even have a f****** graduation.' However, the school superintendent, Selina Sparkman, said in a statement that the fight was started by the adults, not the students. 'I don't want to be mistaken and for anybody to think that our children did this,' Sparkman said. 'Once again, they did an amazing job.' Following the arrests of 11 individuals, the sheriff's office released a statement directly addressing the graduates. 'To the graduates and their families, we cannot restore the moment that was taken from you, but we can assure you that those responsible have been held accountable,' wrote officials. 'My sincere hope is that our efforts provide some sense of closure and a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in Lauderdale County.' The school superintendent, Selina Sparkman, said in a statement that the fight was started by the adults, not the students Video taken from the ceremony showed a chaotic scene, with chairs scattered across the school's gymnasium, as it appeared that both family members and students participated in the fight  • Kenteavious Washington, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Charlie Rogers, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Nygel Lattimore, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Damien Lattimore, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Za’Darius Smith, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Jordan Bonds, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Devontae Robertson, Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Stephanie Scott, Charges: Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor • Juvenile K.M., Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Trespass • Juvenile D.J., Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct • Juvenile Z.S., Charges: Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct The Daily Mail has reached out to the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.