Wearing Mexican Flag at Graduation Caused North Carolina Student's Diploma to Be Withheld

A North Carolina high school student was denied his diploma for wearing a Mexican flag over his blue gown at his graduation ceremony.

Ever Martinez Lopez, a resident of Asheboro, North Carolina, was set to become his immediate family's first graduate from high school.

The Removal of Mexican Flag

The graduation ceremony at Asheboro High School in North Carolina this past week had played out like any other until Ever Lopez's name was called.

According to The New York Times, Ever Lopez approached the center of the stage just like other students, but when he set his foot on the stage with red-white-and-green Mexican flag draped over his shoulders the school principal discussed something with him.

The brief exchange with Penny Crooks, the school principal of Asheboro High School, and Lopez drew "boos" from the audience. Afterward, Lopez walked off the stage, raising his hand while returning to his seat. The said moment was captured by the cousin of Lopez, Adolfo Hurtado, who later posted the video on TikTok.

Lopez's cousin then mentioned that Crooks had asked Lopez to remove the Mexican flag but the graduating student refused to do so, the Washington Post reported.

In addition, the born in the United States to Mexican immigrant parents, Ever Lopez, said during an interview Sunday that he wore the flag because he was proud of his Mexican roots.

He noted that the flag means everything to him and his family because it is what is in their blood. He also emphasized that it is a place where they came from that's why he would do anything to represent.

Hurtado posted a second video to TikTok, Crooks, who is surrounded by four police officers can be seen escorting Lopez and his family out of the school after the ceremony.

Crooks can be heard in the video, which has been viewed more than seven million times, saying that Lopez and his parents can come back a day after graduation so they can talk about the incident.

The School District's Side on Ever Lopez's Case

The Asheboro city school district stated that it is not about the Mexican flag and emphasized that graduation is a milestone event and it is unfair for an individual to diminish this event by violating the dress code.

The district noted that students were encouraged to express their identity by decorating their mortarboards. Numerous students followed the protocol given by the school and had the Mexican flag and other representations appropriately displayed on their mortarboards during the ceremony.

Also, based on the school district's statement issued on Friday, June 4, the district said that it will be doing a further investigation in order to resolve the issue.

The district commended the achievement of the student that is why they will be reevaluating the incident so that Lopez will be receiving his diploma from Asheboro High School, NPR reported.

Meanwhile, the student's mother, Margarita Lopez, said that Crooks mentioned to her in an email on Sunday that her son could pick up his diploma this week.

However, Margarita Lopez said that they want an apology because they consider it as an act of racism not only to their family but to the entire Hispanic community.

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