Blue Hills seniors challenge graduation dress code

At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Blue Hills Regional District School Committee, members listened as about 10 people from the audience spoke about the graduation dress code. The dress code has recently become a somewhat emotional issue at the school, with five graduating seniors headed for the military challenging the policy regarding military sashes. The students, including Bryan Healey of Canton, have begun an online petition in response to the school’s announcement at the first graduation rehearsal on May 29 that military sashes may not be displayed during the ceremony.

Five Blue Hills seniors who are bound for military service are making their case to be able to wear their sashes at graduation.

Healey said the policy goes against his commitment to military service. “Speaking for all of us, we’re all very proud to be starting this,” he said. “We’re giving up time that could be spent in college, and we want to make our nation proud.”

Healey also mentioned the risk that comes with military service as additional impetus for his firm belief in the importance of displaying the sash. He has enlisted with the Air Force, a process which he formally began last September but which he says he has dreamed about for a long time.

A short video of the students making their case has been posted on Facebook. In it, Healey, who will be leaving in mid August to report for basic training in Texas, explains, “We’re trying to raise awareness for this issue, which is spread around a lot of schools in America.” Three of the students have enlisted in the Navy while another is entering the Marines. The students’ pleas have attracted attention from local and national media.

The Blue Hills School Committee recently posted a statement on the school’s website in an effort to clear up “any confusion or misunderstanding regarding the District’s decision and protocol regarding the wearing of military sashes.” It states that “students are allowed to wear the previously awarded military sash under their gown at graduation, and may reveal it after the conferring of diplomas,” adding that this is the same policy that was in effect last year. The sashes, specific to each branch of the military, were awarded at the Senior Scholarship and Awards Celebration held on May 16.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, School Committee Chairperson Marybeth Nearen opened the public comment session by saying that she and several other members have ties to the military and that the committee is “extremely proud” of the students. She said that there had been misinformation about the dress requirement and some unfair accusations made against the school. She also explained that the committee had been advised by attorneys to forbid the wearing of any non-school distinguishing sashes or markings in order to avoid opening the door to multiple requests.

About half of the people who spoke on the issue were students and half were parents. In their statements, they cited various reasons why the committee should change the policy, including a Supreme Court case, the school’s student handbook, the online petition with 3,400 signatures, and the fact that other area schools, including Canton High School, allow the wearing of military sashes at graduation. At the end of the period for public comments, Nearen said that the committee had “a lot to digest” and would take the subject under advisement but could not specify a timeframe. Superintendent James P. Quaglia said that the five students would be notified directly of any policy changes.

Graduation will take place on June 12 at 6 p.m., with a rain date of June 13 at 6 p.m. Blue Hills Regional Technical School, located in Canton, is a district that was created to offer technical programs along with challenging academic courses for high school students from nine towns: Avon, Braintree, Canton, Dedham, Holbrook, Milton, Norwood, Randolph, and Westwood. The 10-member school committee includes one representative from each town plus one student representative, a position held for the 2017-18 academic year by senior Andrew Bryant of Canton.

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Posted by Candace Paris on Jun 8 2018. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.