- Jocelynne Zepeda, senior at El Dorado High School in Las Vegas, Nevada
- After her request was denied, she contacted the ACLU of Nevada.
A student has claimed her high school is breaking the law by preventing her from wearing a homemade graduation gown at her upcoming graduation ceremony.
Jocelynne Zepeda, a senior at El Dorado High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, said she wanted to wear the custom-made suit to her May 31 graduation, but said the school initially rejected her request.
The high school graduate wanted to wear a flag of Guatemala, which she said represents her mother’s side of the family, and the flag of Mexico, as a tribute to her father, who died earlier this year.
‘My dad passed away last year. “I want to show it to him and I want to make him proud,” he said, in part. “I’m proud of who I am because that’s who he is.”
Zepeda’s mother, Katie Franco, told a local Fox5 News who submitted photos on April 2 and followed the school’s instructions to get approval, but never got a response until weeks later.
On May 6, Franco said he received an email response from the school administration informing him to “only wear things received by Eldorado during the ceremony.”
He then contacted the ACLU of Nevada.
Eldorado High School senior Jocelynne Zepeda, pictured with her mother.
The high school graduate shared that her father passed away earlier this year and she wanted to wear the Mexican flag as part of her graduation outfit.
The special badge that prohibited the young woman from wearing the flags of Guatemala and Mexico
The non-profit organization had senA letter in April to the Clark County School District.
The letter urged them to revoke their graduation participation agreement that outlines the ceremony’s dress code.
They also cited a bill passed in 2023, allowing students to wear cultural and religious items at graduation.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, told the news outlet, “Students are being told they cannot wear stoles that represent their national origin, and that is a total insult and violation of AB73.”
The Clark County School District issued a statement to DailyMail.com indicating that the school district terminated the graduation participation agreement effective April 19, 2024.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, said, “Students are being told they cannot wear stoles that represent their national origin, and that is a total insult and violation of AB73.”
High school graduation ceremony at El Dorado High School scheduled for May 31
“Students are permitted to wear traditional tribal clothing or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as adornment to their cap and gown in accordance with AB73,” the Clark County SD media relations department said.
“CCSD encourages all students and families to be mindful of the occasion and respect their fellow graduates so that everyone can enjoy the ceremony equally.”
