The principal of a high school in Indiana did not hesitate to expel a young Marine from the graduation ceremony for the attire he wore at the event. But what happened after this unsettling incident will leave many shocked.
The atmosphere of celebration and pride filled the air at the Star Plaza Theater in Crown Point. This venue was specifically hired to make the most of this annual prestigious graduation event. The hall was filled with proud family and friends joining in the celebration of yet another class receiving their high school diplomas. Students gathered, dressing in their black caps and gowns. Their joyful laughter was indicative of yet another year of challenges overcome and now culminating in the award ceremony.
In the crowd were Jacob’s mother and girlfriend; his father was unfortunately not able to attend the ceremony but asked for pictures to be sent. He was equally proud of his son’s achievements. Fellow students greeted Jacob, a friend they had not seen for a while. It was fortunate that he could attend their graduation as he had finished his training just in time to be back home. Some marveled at the nice uniform he was wearing, and others inquired about the time he had spent in the Marine Corps. The conversations were light-hearted, yet this group of young people knew they were on the brink of adulthood; their paths might inevitably split after this day, and no one knew whether they would see each other again.
As the principal stepped on stage, Jacob took a final tuck at his uniform, making sure that everything looked pristine. He wanted to represent his country and the Marine Corps as well as he could. But what was supposed to be a welcome break and the quick return home to receive his diploma turned into a nightmare for Jacob Dalton Stanley and his family. Nobody expected that a person who deserves respect and recognition would be treated with such blatant disregard. Unfortunately, this was exactly what was about to unfold in front of the expectant crowd.
Principal Chip Pettit was a strict headmaster at his school. This would not be the first time his authority was challenged. In his long-standing career as an educator, he had become accustomed to pupils not adhering to the policies of the school. Although he knew the strong stand he was about to take that evening would not necessarily be popular, he knew exactly what he had to do. Chip Pettit gave a carefully crafted speech about the importance of school and the great privilege it was to oversee yet again the graduation of a class of hardworking students. He emphasized the need to become productive citizens in society and asked the graduates to make the school proud as they leaped into their future colleges, job opportunities, or wherever life leads them.
Then it was time to start handing out the awards. The principal proceeded to call the students to the stage in strict alphabetical order. After a while, it was the turn of the graduates with surnames starting with “S”: Samuelson, Sai, Stark, Stewart… but no Stanley. He called him and proceeded to Thompson without calling Jacob Stanley to the stage. The young man remained seated, although he must have been deeply distraught. His training in the Marine Corps guided him to remain professional and in control.
At first, his mother thought it was an honest mistake that her son’s name hadn’t been called. Then another thought came to her mind: of course, the school must be so proud of her boy that they wanted to give him special recognition by calling his name last. She thought it would be wonderful for the school to recognize the great achievement her son had just accomplished. With great anticipation, she waited for the special moment. It was only when all the names were called that everybody in the audience realized that Jacob’s name had been skipped on purpose and that the principal had no intention of calling him to the stage that day. All eyes turned to the boy in the uniform, sitting alone beside the stage, waiting for a moment in the spotlight that would never come.
Everybody felt bad for him. Jacob wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth like many boys. His teenage years had not been all smooth sailing. It had been difficult for him to find his own feet and stand up for what he believed. Life had handed him a few hard blows, and he had to work extremely hard to achieve some of the things he dreamed of in life. There had been many days that Jacob had no assurances about his future, but all he knew was that he had to take charge of his own destiny. There were a few career options that he considered, but at the back of his mind, there was always the dream of enlisting in the military.
Fortunately, his personality traits and willingness to work hard created an ideal profile for this type of career. It is no small achievement to be accepted into the Marine Corps. Thousands of hopeful candidates submit applications to become part of this elite unit of the American defense forces. The selection criteria are stringent, and thereafter, candidates are scrutinized on every level to select the pick of the crop to start the boot camp phase of the program.
During the boot camp phase, many candidates are tested to their limits. It is nothing out of the ordinary for many prospective students to give up and exit the program. All Jacob knew was that this was his dream, and he would push himself to the limits to achieve it. No matter what, he knew that one day he would proudly wear the uniform of a Marine. The boot camp training was grueling, and that made the successful completion of the course all the more rewarding. Not only was Jacob proud of himself, but his mother and girlfriend were eagerly awaiting his short return home to celebrate his achievement.
The good news was that Jacob would land in time for the graduation ceremony at his previous high school. There was no doubt that Crown Point High School in Indiana would proudly welcome their Marine candidate home. But he was wrong. After the botched ceremony, people were ready to start gossiping about Jacob’s expulsion from the line of graduating students. Some people were happy that Principal Chip Petit had upheld the traditions of the school. After all, this was the 135th graduation ceremony in an era where many practices are challenged.
It was important for the school to maintain some traditions that were closely associated with the culture of the school, and the school encouraged all graduating students to wear cap and gown. At the rehearsal for the graduation ceremony, Jacob had spoken to the principal, indicating that he wanted to wear his military uniform. It was at that stage that Principal Chip Petit regretfully informed the boy that it would not be possible to do that. Chip Petit then went ahead to explain to the boy the long-standing policy for a uniform dress code at graduation. As a representative of the school, he was proud of what Jacob had achieved, but the policy of the school still came first.
Later that day, when the students started arriving for the ceremony, some of the school officials noticed that Jacob had ignored the instructions of the principal. Despite the clear warning, the boy had still come to the graduation ceremony dressed in his blue military attire. Although he looked extremely handsome, they had no option but to tell him that he would not be allowed on the stage dressed this way. The standoff between the two parties was in full swing. Jacob decided to keep his uniform on, and the principal decided to stick to the rules. For this very reason, when the principal spotted Jacob in the crowd ignoring the directive of earlier that day, he did not call his name when the diplomas were handed over.
Among the students, the exclusion of their Marine friend caused a great outrage. Not only was this young man excluded because of something that the students themselves did not regard as non-negotiable, but he had spent the last few months training to put his life on the line for the safety of the American citizens. In their view, the stance their school took was disrespectful to a student choosing to serve in the military, active duty servicemen and women, and even to the thousands of veterans living in the country.
After being criticized, the principal defended his stance with ease. The reason behind the dress code was to maintain a sense of unity among the students. Where students have earned special distinctions or accolades, the school allowed for stoles or cords that can be fitted over the standard cap and gown. This provision was also available for a student enlisted in the military. Principal Chip Petit also made it clear that he did not enforce the policy to be malicious. He had nothing personal against Jacob, and it was not his intent to be disrespectful to the student, his parents, or even the broader community. He based his decision on the fact that the graduation dress code was a source of pride for the school and should therefore be upheld.
However, the uprising that followed left many in shock. It was almost impossible to put the matter to rest that easily. This emotionally charged situation created a lively debate among students and parents. A fellow graduate at Crown Point described the situation as ridiculous, declaring that a person who willingly puts his life on the line for others should be treated with much more respect. Another student pointed out that Jacob had to work very hard for what he had earned; his personal achievement should have earned him the right to walk across that stage with pride, wearing the uniform that identified him as one of America’s best. To be deprived of that moment was nothing short of scandalous behavior by the school.
Afterwards, there were even allegations that one of the students that were allowed on stage was wearing shorts and gym shoes underneath the graduation garment. This was also an infringement of the dress code policy for graduation, yet in this case, the principal chose to make an exception. In other words, the school chose to discriminate against Jacob. What poured oil on the fire was the fact that a nearby Hobart High School, just a few miles away, a girl named Anna Criticos, was allowed to graduate in her uniform. Her school was extremely proud of their student who graduated early to start her military training and returned to receive her diploma. At the ceremonies, she was addressed as Marine Private First Class Anna Criticos.
Unfortunately, there is no uniform approach to what is allowed at graduation ceremonies and what is not. This decision is usually left to the school board and the principal and the superintendent of each individual school. If the superintendent or school board is pro-military, they will usually go all out to give recognition to students joining the military. The way schools approach this subject seems to be a matter of personal preference and choice.
It is understandable that the Marine Corps do not get involved with the dress code requirements for graduation from any school. However, they fully support their students if they want to wear their uniforms during the ceremonies, if their specific school allows for that. And it seems that Jacob chose to follow this lead. Despite the outrage of his parents and fellow students, he declined to comment on the matter. To him, it was water under the bridge. He had embarked on a career in the military, and his high school years were already behind him. Although he did not receive his diploma that day, the proof that he graduated is now safely in his folder at home. To him, the life ahead was all that mattered. He chose to fix his eyes firmly on his future, and his family could not be prouder of him for this choice.
What an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved. Do you think the principal was right to uphold the school policy on graduation at all costs? Would you have been able to act so wisely and maturely at such a young age? Tell us in the comments.
