Posted on 06/04/2013 11:44:25 AM PDT by rickmichaels
An Alabama teenager was denied her high school diploma and fined $1,000 for wearing a feather on her graduation cap to celebrate her Native American heritage.
Escambia Academy High School in Atmore, Ala., makes its students and staff sign a pre-graduation contract agreeing not to wear "extraneous items during graduation exercises unless approved by the administration."
Chelsey Ramer, 17, tried in vain to get approval to attach an eagle's feather to her graduation cap as a symbol of her Native culture.
"They told me that if I wore it that they would pull me off the field," Ramer, a member of the Poarch Creek Band, told NBC affiliate Local 15.
But Ramer wore it anyway and refused to sign the dress-code contract.
The school wouldn't give Ramer her diploma. She now has to fork over $1,000 to get it.
The teen, however, regrets nothing.
"It was worth it. It means a lot to me," Ramer said.
The Poarch Creeks are good for the grand.
Sounds like she’s guilty, but ‘tis a shame.
PS—she should get her diploma, though—she obviously deserved it.
Smart girl. She didn't sign the contract.
The school administrators are too dim to understand that a contract you did not sign is not enforceable.
Unfortunately, she is going to be awarded a lot of school district money someday.
“I MUST wear an eagle feather to prove that I am distant and separate from the citizenry of the United States of America that provided me the free education we are celebrating.”
Wel, bye!
She was warned and chose to ignore it.
She says she has no regrets.
End of story.
And paid for it too.
17 years old. Contract? How enforceable is that anyway?
What is the legality of the school levying a fine, or withholding her diploma?
I’d be inclined to take this to court.
Some folks think they are above the rules. If you break them there are penalties. Big deal, you are an Indian, no one cares.
The performance of public school officials constitute an excellence nadir - below which sentient life cannot exist.
She’d gotten another education ~ what I want to know is who let in all these English speaking people.
She has to fork over $1,000 for a piece of paper? You can’t tell me that if a future employer or school requests her high school information from the state that they would say she didn’t graduate. This is extortion and a perfect example of how the schools “manage what they can.”
What if someone wanted to wear a Confederate flag, however small, to honor their Southern heritage?
To be fair, she didn’t break the rules. They asked her to sign a code of conduct, but she refused. They should’ve pulled her from the ceremony altogether at that point.
Chelsey and Escambia Academy. Equality of boneheadedness.
“Some folks think they are above the rules. If you break them there are penalties.”
We are obliged to follow one sided rules. School attendance is mandated at that age.
Gotta make every govt graduate submit to rules without question.
I have all of their albums.
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