A homecoming queen in San Antonio, TX, is advocating for her right to display her heritage at graduation. Kayleigh Craddock claims she is being punished unjustly for not taking off her Mexican cultural sash at her high school commencement in May.
The school district stated that Craddock’s lack of compliance with the school dress code led to her no longer being invited to crown the next homecoming queen on Sept. 29. However, according to Kens5
, Craddock believes that her actions were not worthy of any punishment, and was told by the administration that the display of her identity on the graduation stage was permissible.When the issue first gained notoriety, the school district issued a statement saying that her “unapproved” accessory to the cap and gown was an infringement on the dress code.
forwp-incontent-custom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad2">“Graduation dress guidelines are communicated to all graduates. The school policy addresses the wearing of unauthorized sashes or accessories. Unfortunately, a student wore an unapproved sash that was not in the guidelines for graduation dress. The student was asked to comply with the dress guidelines and refused.”
Craddock’s “insubordination” from her refusal to remove the sash has led to her being ostracized by the school; however, the recent graduate stands firm that she was never told to remove it.
“I was never told to take it off. It’s on video. They have video. The whole thing is recorded. There’s pictures, everything,” shared the homecoming queen. “There’s a teacher at each row, he never told me anything.”
However, the punishment for showcasing pride in her identity at the commencement ceremony is of additional concern, as the school insisted that the sash violated the dress code.
Ultimately, Craddock wants the school district to understand her right to display her identity and allow her to be part of this year’s homecoming festivities.
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