A Maine mother said her son's school superintendent denied him a diploma for bowing and blowing a kiss on the graduation stage.

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Mary Denney said her son, Justin, was told by Superintendent Suzanne Lukas at the Bonny Eagle High School graduation ceremony to get off the stage without his diploma after he took a bow and blew a kiss to his mother from the stage, WMTW-TV, Portland, Maine, reported Tuesday.

Denney said she and her son were both required to sign a code of conduct before the Friday night graduation at the Cumberland County Civic Center but she does not believe his actions qualified as an infraction.

"There was no misbehavior. Showboating is not misbehavior," Mary Denney said. "A bow, a kiss to your mom is not misbehavior. There was no need of my son not getting his diploma."

Denney said the event was especially devastating for her family because his ailing grandparents were in attendance.

"It was appalling, and I want justice for my son. I want her to apologize to my son and I want her to hand him his diploma while he is in his cap and gown," Mary Denney said.

The school and the superintendent did not respond to calls for comments from WMTW.