High school senior says school withholding diploma over footwear

A graduating senior at a Catholic high school said the school is withholding her diploma over her choice of footwear during the school’s graduation ceremony.

The 17-year-old, identified as Rachel, told Jezebel this week administration at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Va., said she can receive her diploma and transcripts when she completes a detention session in summer school.

Rachel wore black sneakers she said were clean and new to the graduation ceremony, while the school warned students were required to wear black, “appropriate” footwear.

She opted out of high heels because she said she was afraid she would fall.

“We have our graduation at a college, it’s a big stage. You walk in front of everyone. I can’t walk in heels and all my flats are poor quality and I would get blisters,” she said. “So I was like, why not wear something I feel comfortable in?”

Her mother said the graduating senior had previously received detention multiple times through the school year because she wore pink socks.

After the ceremony, Rachel was expecting to trade the ceremonial diploma for her real one, she told Jezebel, but was told by vice principal Eileen Hanley she should have known not to wear the shoes.

On Tuesday morning, officials told her mother the school would be holding onto her transcripts, as well, until she completed detention.

Rachel graduated from the school with honors and had already been accepted to university, but withholding her transcripts may get in the way of that.

Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva