School Refuses To Hand Over Diploma To Student Who Wore Mexican Flag To Graduation

A high school senior was denied his diploma for wearing a Mexican flag over his graduation gown.

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♬ original sound – Adolfo Hurtado635

A now-viral TikTok video shows when North Carolina graduate Ever Lopez was denied his diploma on stage in front of his peers. In the clip, filmed by his cousin, Adolfo Hurtado, Lopez has the flag visibly draped over the gown. At one point, Lopez was seen removing the flag but kept it on after fellow students encouraged him to. Staff members of Asheboro High School quickly stopped Lopez, preventing him from receiving his diploma.

“Sadly, he did not get the diploma. The teacher wants him to apologize. Obviously, he’s not going to do that,” Hurtado explained in a follow-up video.

Alethea Hill, whose brother is good friends with Lopez, explained that the crowd began booing the school’s principal, Penny Crooks, who stopped Lopez. After the ceremony, Lopez was given his diploma holder but not the diploma.

The district superintendent told Lopez’s family that the decision to give him the diploma was up to the principal. After speaking with Crooks, the family was informed that Lopez violated the school’s dress code and was told to apologize to receive his diploma.

The family believes that racism played a role in Lopez being denied his diploma. They noted that other students wore decorated caps and gowns and had not been reprimanded.

The district said it was “disheartened” by the assumption that racism played a role in withholding the diploma. They also confirmed that they would reevaluate their dress code and were working to “resolve the issue with the student and family so that he will receive his diploma.”