'Heartbreaking' Graduation Exclusion
The class president and star basketball and football player at a Bristol, Pa., high school won't be attending his graduation Friday.
Tyrone Lewis has been barred, because police fear he may be shot by members of a Trenton, N.J.-based gang looking to get back at his sister, who testified against one of them at a murder trial.
But a deal is apparently being worked on that would enable Lewis to take part in some way in the ceremony for grads of Harry S. Truman High.
As class president, Lewis was scheduled to give a commencement speech.
He confirmed to The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler Wednesday that police and school officials are "talking about me being at a (secure, remote) area, and I could give my speech to my class on Friday live. That's the only thing I know right now. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it or not. But I should know (soon).
"It wouldn't feel the same as if I was there. But, anything I could do to be there for my classmates, and at least give the speech that I know — my classmates told me they would like to hear the speech from me."
His mother, Marlene, told Syler she is very upset at the prospect of Tyrone missing the ceremony, and doesn't think it's fair.
What's more, she says, there's no word on the street of any threat danger for Tyrone. "I haven't heard or seen anything that's been credible, as far as a threat towards my son, and nobody else has heard anything, either."
Tyrone says he doesn't feel threatened: "If anyone really wanted me to have a chance, my school has big events where I went to honors night last week, and I just had my prom. … Pretty much everyone knows where I live, and I'm always at the basketball courts, and I never felt threatened by anyone, (nor has) anyone ever directed a threat to me about doing anything to me."
He admits he's "a little upset about this. I mean, I can't believe this is happening. I mean, I worked so hard for this moment, and for my mom to see me do this, and I will be the first in my family to be the class president and give a speech in front of my family and friends and classmates. It's very frustrating for me because I took all the proper steps for 12 years to get to this point, and haven't done anything wrong, and now for this to happen to me is very heartbreaking."