Howard University Graduation Erupts Into Chaotic Scene: Everything We Know

A glass door was shattered. A student suffered a cut to their hand. Furious parents chanted "Let us in!" This is what Howard University nursing students saw Thursday night as their graduation was canceled mid-ceremony and guests were locked out.

A large crowd turned out to watch the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences students graduate in Washington, D.C., but not everyone got in. Angry attendees denied entrance to Cramton Auditorium on Howard University's campus due to capacity limitations chanted their disapproval.

"Wowwww @Howard University do F*CKING better. I'm student (sic) here and can plan a graduation ceremony better that (sic) your unprofessional faculty. Yall have a whole field that can be utilized, why would you try to cramp everyone in one auditorium," destinymarilynn posted to TikTok.

Lydia Sermons, chief communications officer, told 7 News space limitations has not been an issue in past years. She added that the 2024 graduating class is Howard University's largest in history. Combined with the fact many students did not have a "normal" high school graduation in 2020 due to the pandemic, the graduation crowds this year have been huge.

Cramton Auditorium holds about 1,500 people.

Sermons said the school would plan to prevent a repeat of this year's events in the future.

The university released a statement Friday afternoon acknowledging the importance of the "long-awaited moment for our students, many of whom missed their high school graduations, other celebrations and began their academic journey in a virtual environment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Along that vein, we apologize wholeheartedly for the challenges experienced during our College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (CNAHS) Honors and Awards Ceremony," the statement read. "The overcrowding at Cramton Auditorium significantly impacted the guest experience."

Newsweek reached out to Howard University for additional comment but did not hear back immediately.

While families pounded on doors and chanted, the dean of the nursing school told graduates and guests inside of the ceremony that the event was being shut down.

"Because of the size of the room and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down," Gina Brown told the crowd.

In a press conference the next day, DC Fire and EMS officials said they did not shut down the event. Their presence at the ceremony was in response to a medical incident.

There were no arrests in connection with Thursday's graduation, according to Lee Lepe, Metropolitan Police Department Communications Officer.

The nursing graduation website stated tickets were not required. Seating was going to be "allotted on a first-come, first-served basis."

Several hundred people were also left out in the rain on Friday after Cramton Auditorium reached capacity for the College of Engineering and Architecture graduation ceremony.

A second ceremony for the nursing students was held Saturday. The university said in their statement Friday they would still be "unable to accommodate everyone" and invited guests who would not be able to sit in the auditorium to watch via livestream.

While many took to social media to complain, some parents still posted their admiration for their children's work.

"If you haven't heard, Howard University shut down the graduation event for the school of health sciences due to overcrowding so she didn't get a chance to march across the stage and receive her honors diploma," Dana Smith Sr. posted to Facebook. "However, that didn't ruin the proud moment for my beautiful daughter Ryann."