Pupil rights: school graduation ceremonies and related events: adornments.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how disagreements over the classification of adornments are to be resolved.

Student Rights: Graduation Events and Adornments

This law allows students to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance at graduation ceremonies and related events without needing approval from the school, as long as these items do not cause disruptions.

What This Bill Does

• Allows students to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance during graduation ceremonies and other related events.
• Clarifies that what counts as traditional regalia or culturally significant objects is decided by the student and their family.
• Prohibits schools from requiring a preapproval process for students who want to wear these items at graduation-related events.
• Prevents schools from forcing students to wear caps if those caps do not go well with the cultural or religious adornments they are wearing.
• Expands the definition of 'adornment' to include items that can replace the cap, in addition to being attached to or worn with it.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students who want to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance at graduation events and related activities.
• Local educational agencies (schools) that organize graduation ceremonies and other related events.

Terms To Know

Adornment

Something attached to, worn with, or in place of the cap customarily worn at school graduation ceremonies.

Local educational agency (LEA)

The organization that runs a public school system and is responsible for organizing events like graduations.

Limits and Unknowns

• Schools can still prohibit items if they are likely to cause disruptions or interfere with the graduation ceremony.
• It does not specify what happens if there is disagreement between students, families, and schools about whether an item qualifies as traditional regalia or culturally significant.

Official Summary Text

AB 1369, Ramos.
Pupil rights: school graduation ceremonies and related events: adornments.
Existing law authorizes a pupil to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as an adornment at school graduation ceremonies. Existing law prohibits that authorization from limiting a local educational agency’s discretion and authority to prohibit an item that is likely to cause a substantial disruption of, or material interference with, the ceremony. Existing law defines “adornment” for these purposes as something attached to or worn with, but not replacing, the cap and gown customarily worn at school graduation ceremonies.
This bill would extend a pupil’s authorization to wear an adornment to school events that are related to graduation. The bill would clarify that what constitutes traditional regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance is to be determined by the pupil and the pupil’s family. The bill would prohibit a local educational agency from requiring (1) a preapproval process for a pupil to exercise their rights to wear an adornment and (2) a pupil to wear a cap if the cap is incompatible with the adornment. The bill would revise the definition of “adornment” as it relates to a cap customarily worn at school graduation ceremonies to instead mean something attached to, worn with, or worn in place of, the cap.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF