A high school senior was nearly banned from his graduation due to the strict dress code. Luckily, a teacher stepped in and donated his shoes to the teenager.
Daverius Peters of Boutte, Louisiana, showed up to Hahnville High School’s graduation with the expectation to graduate with his senior class. However, when he arrived, a school representative told him that his black leather sneakers with white soles violated the ceremony’s dress code, which prohibited athletic shoes. The 18-year-old believed that the shoes were acceptable because they were black.
“I was in shock. I felt humiliated. I just wanted to walk across the stage and get my diploma,” Peters explained.
John Butler, a paraeducator with Hahnville High School, tried to reason with the school rep to no avail. That is when he decided to take off his shoes and give them to Peters to walk across the stage. Though Butler’s shoes were two sizes too small, the teen received his diploma while Butler wore his socks during the ceremony.
“I wasn’t surprised because Mr. Butler is that type of person. At school, if you’re having a bad day, he’ll be the one to take you out of class, walk around the school with you and talk to you,” Peters told The Washington Post. He returned Mr. Butler’s shoes immediately after exiting the stage.
Peters’ mother, Jima Smith, says that her son worked hard to obtain his diploma, and the fact that he nearly missed his big day due to a minor dress code infraction was “maddening.”
“How about if I couldn’t afford to buy him the shoes? This is not just about him; this is about the people that come after him.”
As for Butler, Jima says the generous gesture “says a lot about what type of man he is.”
The school’s director of public information, Stevie Crovetto, said that he is not surprised that Butler lent peters his shoes. He says that the school will follow up on the matter and review its policy.
Butler is planning on meeting with Hahnville High School administrators regarding the dress code.
“Something that small shouldn’t rob a kid from experiencing this major moment,” he stated.
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