“It was a copy” - graduate explained scandalous act at graduation ceremony

In his statement, he offered an apology to the faculty, the college administration, and anyone who may have been offended by the published video.

"I offer my sincere apologies to the faculty, the college administration, and everyone who may have been hurt by the video from the graduation ceremony circulated on social media," the statement reads.

The student also added that the official diploma was not damaged. According to him, he had prepared a copy of the document in advance for his performance.

"I would like to note that the official diploma was not damaged. I prepared a copy of it in advance for the performance. There was no malicious intent in my actions, nor any intention to show disrespect to the college and its values," he noted.

Concluding the statement, the graduate expressed regret over the incident and promised that such a situation would not happen again.

"I sincerely regret what happened and promise that such a situation will not recur," the student stated.

Following the publication of the statement, comments on the college's page were restricted.

As a reminder, a video from the graduation ceremony previously went viral on social media. The footage shows a student receiving his diploma on stage and immediately tearing it up in front of the audience. The clip quickly gained popularity and became a subject of active discussion.

The majority of online users criticized the graduate's actions, calling them a display of disrespect toward education, the work of teachers, and the institution itself. Meanwhile, some commenters urged others not to jump to conclusions, noting that the reasons behind the act were unknown.

Users left a wide variety of comments under the video posts. Some suggested that the student would eventually be able to obtain a duplicate diploma, while others argued that this should not be allowed.

"He'll just get a duplicate later," one user wrote.

Some users pointed out that, in their opinion, only the document cover might have been damaged in the video, rather than the diploma itself.

The incident also drew sharp criticism. Some comments suggested the act was merely an attempt to seek attention or make an impression.

"Personally, I do not support such an act. Regardless of the institution, I believe there should be respect, at the very least, for the teachers who work there," one commenter noted.

Other netizens called the incident "disrespectful" and stated that the graduate should not be issued a replacement document.