RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Video shows a woman grabbing a young man by the neck and pushing him at the Rio Rancho High School graduation ceremony.

The person who recorded the video says the fight started over seats. Janice Richmond was at the graduation for her grandson and he was about to get his diploma when the altercation happened.

As the two were arguing, the woman grabbed the man’s throat and pushed him.

“She was just really angry, you know, overly angry. Like she just couldn’t control herself,” Richmond said.

Richmond was there for her grandson. Right as the fight happened, he was walking across the stage.

Richmond said not only was it unwarranted, it also distracted from what was supposed to be a big day for graduates.

“It’s a one-time thing, you know, he’s graduating high school and it was very important for us to be there,” Richmond said. “So it was kind of crushing how we got to miss it all. I was debating which one do I record? You know, do I record this drama happening on the side of me because I knew he was a young kid, or do I get my grandson?”

Richmond said it all started over the lack of seats at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

“I believe because we were kind of in the same situation, there was no seats. So I, I kind of got that she was a little upset, like she’s, you know, maybe been there for a while and she’s trying to record whoever she’s trying to record. And then, you know, he’s kind of like maybe in the way a little bit. And she didn’t really tell him though. She started yelling at him immediately,” Richmond said.

Richmond added after the woman shoved him, police got involved.

“She went down there and started complaining, I guess about the situation, trying to turn it around,” Richmond recalled. “That’s when I had to show the police what happened. I told him I had it on video and I told the kids that I had it on video. And so, they started talking to him right away about it. And I don’t know where she took off to you. I think she tried to leave.”

A spokesperson with Rio Rancho Public Schools say they’re aware of the situation. In a statement, they said the behavior in the video is completely unacceptable and does not align with their expectations. They don’t believe the young man in the video is a student in the district and they don’t know who the woman is. They also added they work closely with the Rio Rancho Event Center to make sure there is security.

KOB 4 reached out to Rio Rancho police to see if any charges were filed. We haven’t heard back.

A spokesperson for Rio Rancho Public Schools shared the following statement:

“The behavior exhibited in this video is completely unacceptable and does not align with the expectations we have for the attendees of our graduation ceremonies. Rio Rancho Public Schools works closely with the Rio Rancho Events Center to ensure that there is a substantial security and police presence at all RRPS graduation ceremonies, and it is our understanding that the Rio Rancho Police Department responded to the incident. We do not believe that the male involved in the confrontation is an RRPS student and we are unaware of who the female in the video is.”