School district won't let high school senior wear military sash at graduation
A high school senior is proud to be joining the U.S. military after he graduates but he won’t be allowed to wear his military sash when he walks across the stage to accept his diploma.
Jeremy Bartolomei is graduating from Clovis North Educational Center in Fresno, Calif., on Wednesday, and plans to head to Fort Jackson in South Carolina to begin Army basic training on Sunday, KFSN reported.
"I really do want to serve my country," he said. "It's always been kind of a dream of mine."
According to Clovis Unified School District policy, students are not permitted to students to wear military — or any other non-school-related — sashes.
While Bartolomei is determined to try and change the policy, he won’t wear his sash to graduation at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, Calif., unless he has permission.
"If I do try to wear it, I know for a fact I'll be pulled off in front of a couple thousand people," Bartolomei told KFSN. “I’m a student. I’m one person. If I get more people on board, it’s like punching through that line, and that’s what I’d like to do — I’d like to punch through that line and test the waters.”
Still, the school district has rules in place to regulate the graduation dress code.
"Students will only be allowed to wear adornment of any kind that is school-related or school-issued," Clovis Unified School District spokesperson Kelly Avants told KFSN. "During graduation we actually have a moment where we pause everything else we're doing and individually recognize and honor students who are entering the military.”
Avants told KFSN that the school district “considered changing the policy after state law forced them to loosen their policy for people wearing religious or cultural adornments.”
However, the district decided not to allow military adornments because they already recognize students joining the military at other school events.
It is unclear whether Jeremy will receive permission to wear his military sash during the graduation ceremony.
Clover Unified School District representatives and Jeremy Bartolomei did not immediately reply to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Melania Trump wears gown with sheer shoulders to state banquet at Buckingham Palace
Donald Trump accused of breaking royal protocol by touching the queen's back
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.