After rift, CT high school will set a chair for deceased student at graduation

After a highly emotional social media and email campaign, relatives and friends of a Connecticut boy who drowned at age 15 are claiming victory after the school system announced that it will recognize his memory at the high school’s graduation Wednesday.But in fact, Plainville High School had already been planning ways to honor Lucas Brewer at the ceremony — it simply hadn’t announced them.Officials will hold a moment of silence during the ceremony and present a honorary diploma, which administrators said they’d planned all along. The campaign did get an addition for the ceremony, however: A empty chair will be set aside in recognition of Lucas.The social media dispute began after his mother asked to present a scholarship in his memory during the ceremony on Wednesday evening. The school system replied that its policy is to announce all scholarships at a special night earlier in the school year and never at graduation.“I just wanted to be able to celebrate him like the other students. I don’t want something sad, I want to recognize him — he was a high school student who lived in this town,” said Glenda Brewer, mother of Lucas and author of a Facebook post that quickly went viral in Plainville late last week.Lucas Brewer. (Courtesy of Glenda Brewer)Lucas was on track to graduate with the Class of 2024 before he died with a friend in an accidental drowning. He and 17-year-old Anthony Nagore went missing after they were seen swimming in the Farmington River on July 15, 2021, after apparently jumping in from the Avon side near the Canton line. Four days later, their bodies were found about a mile downriver.Because Lucas had been part of the class that’s graduating this month, Glenda Brewer contacted the high school to discuss awarding a scholarship in his memory during the graduation ceremony but was turned down, she said in the Facebook post Friday afternoon.“I reached out to the principal at Plainville High School and asked if I could have a few minutes at the end of this year’s graduation to present a $2,500 scholarship to one or two students in Lucas’s memory. The principal declined my offer,” she wrote. “So sad. With all that negativity I have decided to forgo this opportunity to carry on Lucas’s memory with the Plainville High School.”She signed the post “My son matters, Lucas’s Mom.”The post on the Plainville Talks page drew scores of messages of support in the following hours, and had generated more than 300 responses by mid-day Monday. Nearly all were from people in the area lamenting the school’s decision, with some criticizing the principal or superintendent and others just expressing good memories of Lucas.The controversy also spawned a series of new posts, some calling on the school to officially recognize Lucas at the ceremony. One element of contention was whether an empty chair would be set up. Many writers identified themselves as Lucas’ classmates and announced they were writing to school administrators to insist on it.“As a 2019 PHS graduate I can’t even come to the understanding as to why I have to write an email for a request that should be already enacted. I am writing to request that an open seat be reserved at the upcoming graduation ceremony in memory of Lucas Brewer, who tragically passed away before completing his studies,” one woman wrote Friday night.That message drew more than 100 comments, again overwhelmingly favorable and mostly critical of school administrators.“I’ve heard of other districts denying similar requests and I don’t understand! How is reserving one chair that much of a problem?!? How is taking one extra moment to remember the life of one of their own a problem?!?!,” wrote Jessica Aliff.Some messages lambasted the school system as disrespectful and uncaring, a few called for replacing the principal, and one even suggested a townwide boycott of the ceremony. School staff didn’t reply to any of the messages, but on Saturday a special letter from Superintendent Brian Reas was circulated to parents.“This letter is intended to share some information regarding the 2024 Plainville High School graduation ceremony. The ceremony will be dedicated to Lucas Brewer,” it said. “There will be a moment of silence for him … we will present an honorary diploma for Lucas and a chair will be there for him.”Many of the Facebook posters had appeared to believe the ceremony would include no mention of Lucas, and that was never true, Reas said. The inclusion of the chair was the only new change, he said.“This is a difficult situation. There’s no easy way to work through the process given how tragic it is,” Reas told The Courant on Monday.Connecticut school systems handle such matters individually. Branford, for instance, gives the may award an honorary diploma posthumously, but only for students who died in their senior year. In Stamford, the principal has discretion to award honorary diplomas for any deceased students who had been attending the local high school.Glenda Brewer said Monday that she’s considering a different venue for announcing the scholarship winner, possibly a dinner at Lola’s Bistro. She said she’s thankful that friends and classmates pressed the school system to recognize her son at graduation, which is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Tinty Stadium at the high school, in the school gym in case of rain.

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