North Carolina high school gives diploma to graduate who was denied it after wearing Mexican flag

A North Carolina student who garnered headlines nationwide last week after school officials said he was denied his diploma for wearing a Mexican flag over his gown at graduation has since received his diploma, local media reports.

In footage obtained by a local Fox affiliate on Monday, the student, Ever López, 18, was seen walking with his diploma in hand as people cheered outside his high school. The teenager held up the diploma and threw up a fist to applause from people off-screen.

The moment comes days after footage of López went viral showing him attending graduation wearing a Mexican flag as he crossed the stage to receive his diploma last week. In the video, he could be seen receiving his diploma holder, but not the diploma itself.

Officials at Asheboro High School later confirmed that the student was denied his diploma at the time for violating dress code guidelines for the graduation ceremony by wearing the flag, The Associated Press reported.

“Our graduation dress code is clearly shared with students ahead of time, and the wearing of a flag of any kind is a violation of the dress code. In the past two years we have allowed students to decorate their mortarboards as a nod to their individuality and creativity,” the school said on its Facebook page last week.

“We are very clear with students that this was the ONLY acceptable deviation from the standard cap and gown regalia,” the school said. “Unfortunately, we will now be reevaluating that decision for future senior classes in light of the situation that occurred last night.”

According to local station Fox 8, the school has received multiple threats in recent days over the incident. One email even reportedly threatened to “shoot up” the school if López didn’t receive his diploma.

López urged the people behind the threats to stop in a statement to the local station. 

“If you were going to send her an email or say something, at least leave threatful things out,” he told the outlet.

“Don’t make it harmful for them to think that we need to get shelter or call the cops to protect her or something. I just feel like they should respect her even though she did something wrong, you know?” he added.