BOSTON -- Parents in one Bay State town were banned from their children's eighth grade graduation ceremony.

"He said, 'Mom I want you there,' but I can't be there for my son," parent Xiomara Tennyson said.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported Tuesday that some Needham parents are shedding tears of sadness after missing the milestone.

The Pollard Middle School banned parents from attending the one-hour ceremony.

It's a fire code violation to allow more than 1,000 people into the auditorium. School officials moved the ceremony inside for the first time in seven years because of the rain.

The principal, Glenn Brand, sent an e-mail to parents to inform them of the situation.

"There should always be a Plan B in New England and this rain forecast has been in the news for the past month," parent Jayme Yellin said.

"They were waiting until 6:30 p.m. when nobody could do anything about it. That's when parents found out officially," parent Joann Itzkowitz said.

The principal and superintendent did watch the 350 students graduate. They declined to return NewsCenter 5's phone calls for an interview.

The principal said, "We believe it's important to prioritize bringing the class together for one last time."

Parents were allowed to attend a reception in the cafeteria after graduation.