Attack of the Clones
As a tribute to his Cherokee Indian heritage, Thomas Benya, 17, wore a bolo tie under his gown for his graduation ceremony from Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret, Md. “It’s my way of relating back to my past and showing who I am,” he said. But school officials said the bolo wasn’t a necktie and refused to give Benya his diploma. The school’s mandatory dress code for graduation specifies boys must wear ties, but does not specify what kind. “The First Amendment protects religion,” said a district spokeswoman, but “there is nothing that requires us to follow everyone’s different cultures.” After a public uproar, the school mailed the diploma to him. (Washington Post) ...If they had guts they would have hand-delivered it to him — with an apology.
Available in This is True: Book Collection Vol. 11