(CNN/KOVR) – A graduation photo is causing quite the controversy after a large group of students packed in for a photo, without masks or social distancing.
Nearly 100 students standing side by side, sporting their caps and gowns, is what you would expect to see any other graduation day, except this year while social distancing orders are still in play.
“I thought it was great that the community is coming together to see how they can celebrate us,” said graduating senior, Dylan Weaver.
Parents and graduates defying state and county orders organized a group photo to keep tradition. Photos show dozens of students standing next to each other, with no room for six feet distance and not a single mask.
“If they think they are safe enough to be out there, then that is fine by me,” Weaver said.
But not everyone agrees.
“It’s a cute idea but not necessarily in this time. People should be at home social distancing so this thing doesn’t keep going around,” said Lindsay Delgado, a Lincoln, California, resident.
The county health officer, Dr. Aimee Sisson, in a statement to KOVR CBS 13 said, “The Class of 2020 has made huge sacrifices. But getting together to take a class photo has the potential to undo all of those sacrifices.”
She went on to call the gathering a “recipe for virus transmission.”
Still, seniors like Weaver who plans to be at the next photo shoot that is already in the works, said he is willing to take the risk.
“Leave us alone I guess. We are just trying to celebrate what we had, you know?” Weaver said.
The school district said it was not involved in the event and expressed it has organized other celebrations for seniors that follow social distancing guidelines like a virtual graduation ceremony and personalized signs for each student.
