DETROIT — Civil libertarians are chastising Oxford Community Schools for not allowing high school graduates to wear orange cords to symbolize they are survivors of gun violence as they crossed the stage to obtain their diplomas Thursday.
Two attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sent the district a letter Thursday, hours before the ceremony in Oakland County, that said: "Students at graduations around the nation engage in the non-disruptive practice of decorating their caps to express their hopes, fears, memories, views, and personalities. Oxford's students should be permitted to do the same — they should not 'be confined to the expression of those sentiments that are officially approved.'"
Orange is the color of the gun violence prevention movement. Many seniors said they planned to wear them Thursday at graduation. It was not immediately clear Friday how many had, but parents confirmed that some graduates wore the cords.
The district, where a school shooting in November 2021 killed four students and injured six students and a teacher, first said no, asking the seniors not to divert from the traditions of commencement. Then the district offered a "specially designed navy and gold Wildcat honor cord to its graduation wear."
The two-page letter from Syeda F. Davidson, senior staff attorney, and Heather Cummings, chair of the ACLU of Michigan Oakland County Lawyers committee, cited U.S. Supreme Court precedent on First Amendment cases and an article from The Detroit News in their letter, asking the district permit graduates to wear their expression of their experience and to reassess future policies to ensure they are legal.
"The orange cords are their way of honoring the students who did not live to walk across the stage tonight while protesting gun violence. However, Oxford school officials have declined to allow students to engage in this silent, non-disruptive recognition and protest," the letter stated. "Because of this, an already bittersweet occasion has been further soured for some members of Oxford High School's Class of 2023, who stand apart because of reasons they never asked for."
"We urge you to permit students to wear orange cords at graduation this year. And going forward, we request that Oxford reassess its policies to ensure they are consistent with the First Amendment values of freedom of expression that should be fostered in our public schools," the letter said.
School officials did not immediately respond for comment. Oxford Superintendent Vickie Markavitch said Monday keeping the focus on students and their accomplishments was behind her decision and that special recognition was being given to the graduating classes with the new honor cord in school colors of navy and gold.
Olivia Curtis, a graduating senior and close friend of the St. Juliana family, whose daughter Hana, 14, was killed in the school shooting on Nov. 30, 2021, told The Detroit News on Monday that wearing the orange cord was important to her for two reasons.
"First, it honors Hana. And second, since commencement is supposed to be about the things that you’ve accomplished, wearing the orange cord to represent surviving a school shooting just feels right. It’s part of who we are," Curtis said.
The students had the support of several parents, including Marisa Prince, who ordered 200 orange cords from the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety and was handing them out for free to the students.
Some graduating seniors initiated a tribute to Oxford High students Tate Myre, a junior who died in the school attack and was expected to graduate in 2023, and Daphne Beethem, a senior who died in a car accident on April 13. Seniors had the opportunity to accept a tassel charm with pictures of both students that they could attach to their graduation cap, school officials said.
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