Student says Pennsylvania high school forced them to remove keffiyeh at graduation ceremony
A student at Lower Merion High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, says they were not allowed to fully participate in their graduation ceremony because they were wearing a headscarf that has become a symbol for Palestinians.
The student, Evan, said they showed up for the ceremony last Thursday in a keffiyeh-patterned headscarf.
According to Evan's post on Instagram, school officials said the colors were a "political statement." The post says the student was pulled aside and told to take it off because it would cause a disruption.
Evan said they were eventually allowed to return for a portion of the graduation after removing the headscarf.
In a statement to CBS News Philadelphia, the Lower Merion School District said it sent guidelines to seniors and their families weeks before graduation.
The guidelines included not wearing attire with political messages that would distract from the purpose of the ceremony, the Lower Merion School District said.
The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the schools' actions and said in a statement in part that the incident is a "clear violation of students' rights to free expression, and a troubling example of racial and political profiling."
The Lower Merion School District said students were given a choice between removing items that violated their guidance and participating in the ceremony, or not removing them and not participating.
