0
0
Scholar athlete Andrew Jones was at the top of his Louisiana high school class with a 4.0 grade point average that made him valedictorian of his 2016 graduating class. But there was a problem.
The Amite High School senior had a beard.
And that facial hair got him barred from marching at the high school's recent graduation ceremony where he was scheduled to address the class.
“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. “This young man was given at least three opportunities.”
He added: “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.”
Other students went home to shave that day after school officials asked them to do so, Kolwe said, adding they “took care of what they had to do and marched.”