Court says no to grad with Mexican/U.S. flag

A U.S. District Court judge on Friday denied a Grand Valley High School senior’s request of a temporary restraining order that would require the Garfield 16 school district to permit her to wear a graduation sash depicting the Mexican/U.S. flags.

According to a news release from Garfield 16 School District, Judge Nina Y. Wang ruled against Naomi Peña Villasano, who filed a lawsuit against the district earlier this week. Villasano was told by the district she could be barred from her graduation ceremony if she decided to wear the stole.

In a statement released Friday by Garfield 16, Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Baugh said, “This is not an issue about a student’s ability to express her pride in her culture and heritage. She, and all her classmates, have an avenue for this expression by decorating their mortar boards on their graduation caps, including appropriate nationalistic endorsements.”