A father has expressed his criticism towards a high school for prohibiting his daughter from participating in her graduation ceremony due to her desire to wear a traditional Hawaiian lei.
The incident has sparked a debate on social media platforms.
Dad criticizes high school for banning daughter from walking graduation due to her traditional Hawaiian lei.
The controversy unfolded when Sophia Noelani Iliana Benzon, a student at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, planned to wear a beautiful lei around her neck during the graduation ceremony.
However, just moments before the event, Sophia and her family, who were also adorned with leis, were stopped by school staff members.
In a video that went viral on TikTok, a heated encounter between Sophia's family and a teacher was recorded.
The school staff member apologized for the situation but cited the school's policy as the reason for the ban on the lei.
Sophia's father expressed his frustration, emphasizing his desire for his daughter to embrace her cultural traditions, as previous family members had done during their own graduations.
According to reports, the school claimed that they required permission from the school district for Sophia to wear the lei.
However, the Benzon family insisted that they had already obtained the necessary approval. Despite their efforts, Sophia was denied the opportunity to participate in the ceremony.
The high school placed limitations on the Hawaiian graduate.
Sophia's brother, Kainoa, shared the video on TikTok, which quickly gained millions of views.
In the accompanying caption, Sophia's brother emphasized that the school imposed further limitations on her.
These included taking away her phone and making her verbally state her decision not to participate in the ceremony before allowing her to reach out to her parents.
The incident has sparked a debate on social media platforms.
Online discussions and comments on platforms like Reddit have expressed support for Sophia's father, commending him for advocating for his daughter and their Hawaiian heritage.
Some individuals shared their own experiences with school policies that restrict cultural expressions, suggesting that a compromise or reasonable limits would be more appropriate than an outright ban.
This is so unfair. It’s a special day, she should naturally have been allowed to celebrate with her traditional Hawaiian lei she could have been honoring her family, passed and living, one user said.
No, the school is correct, because if they don’t stop it now, trust and believe the next year, someone will go to the extreme. That’s is something you give them to out in after graduation. People will run out if you don’t give them boundaries, the second user supports the school.
As a teacher in the area, I’m so disappointed that none of the teachers stood up for her, the third user.
I can’t wait to hear what happens to that lady that refused to let her walk. Maybe someday people will learn to mind thier own business and not be so trashy, another wrote.
Been in hawaii for almost 21 years now and I have never seen anyone walk with thier leis on . They are given afterwards, someone wrote.
Sophia was given her own graduation ceremony by her family.
In response to the controversy, Eastlake High School has been contacted for comment, but no official statement has been released yet.
Meanwhile, Sophia and her family celebrated her graduation in their own way, outside the confines of the ceremony.
