Andrew Jones, a star athlete and straight A student ended his four years at Amite High School in Louisiana with a 4.0 GPA making him valedictorian. However, instead of Jones participating in the graduation ceremony, Jones was told because of his facial hair he wasn’t allowed to attend.
“Our school board has a policy that does not allow any facial hair on male students,” Tangipahoa Parish school superintendent Mark Kolwe told ABC News today.
Kolwe said he asked Jones three times to shave his facial hair.
“I personally asked him to please go and shave so that he can walk with the other kids. He chose not to. I even asked the parents standing here to have him follow the policy.”
Kolwe said other students with facial hair shaved to participate in the ceremony, and Jones’ decision was purely his own.
Jones’ aunt took to Facebook to express her grief over the school’s refusal to allow her nephew to walk.
“How can you take away his moment? You will never feel his pain, and you can never give his moment back to him “