ARDMORE, PA — A recent graduate of Lower Merion High School said they were held by local authorities and district officials after being told not to wear a headscarf during the Class of 2025’s commencement at Villanova University last week.

Evan Tedgi took to social media Monday to share their story of the incident, which was set off by their wearing of a keffiyeh, a cultural symbol commonly worn by Palestinians and their supporters.

Tedgi said district officials told them to remove the keffiyeh to participate in the ceremony, with officials saying it would cause a disruption, citing the colors of the scarf as indicative of a “political statement.”

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The Lower Merion School District gave students and families guidance on what was acceptable at the ceremony. The guidance, which was provided to Patch Thursday, reads, in part, “political or personal statements that distract from the purpose of the ceremony will not be permitted.”

The district did not respond to Patch’s question regarding the perceived politics of keffiyehs.

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“Students wearing items that violated that guidance were given a choice between 1) removing those items and participating in the ceremony or 2) not removing them and not participating,” the district said in an email to Patch.

Tedgi refused to remove the keffiyeh, claiming the reasoning was “unjust.” Tedgi said they have worn that same keffiyeh to school and district events without any resistance from officials.

“Headscarves are an integral part of my identity and a necessary tool for managing my hair type,” Tedgi said on social media.

Tedgi was then escorted out of the building, and district officials told guards they were not permitted back in the building.

Tedgi’s mother convinced them to remove the scarf so they could participate in the ceremony, but said it took 25 minutes of talking with officials to reenter the building.

That’s when Tedgi said officials wanted to search them. Tedgi agreed and was pat down and emptied their pockets. The search was “presumably for weapons,” Tedgi said.

After the search, officials said Tedgi could walk at the commencement, but only while being escorted by officials.

But Tedgi said they were kept in a separate area, away from their classmates, to watch the commencement via livestream while being monitored by a police office and other district administrators.

“The activities director kept checking in with me making sure I wouldn’t do anything to disrupt the ceremony even after threatening to withhold my diploma,” Tedgi said.

Tedgi walked across the stage in Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion, then was immediately escorted out by police, they said.

Tedgi claims to have been targeted for their pro-Palestinian views.

“Lower Merion’s dedication to a Zionist comfortability is a poison to the freedom of speech and expression,” Tedgi said on social media. “The same freedoms the principal was ironically boasting about students having in his ceremony speech while one of his students is held under watch directly outside of the event for wearing a headscarf”

They claim the district has “succumbed” to Zionist parents by taking down art displays, censoring student journalists, and “allowed for Zionist flyers to be posted on every classroom door,” among other actions.

“High School graduation ceremonies are an opportunity for all seniors and their families to celebrate their academic achievements,” the district said in a statement. “To ensure that all students and families felt safe and supported during the Lower Merion High School graduation ceremony, and to avoid disruptions or displays that would detract from the inclusive and celebratory nature of the event, students and families received clear guidance regarding acceptable apparel and accessories.”

The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Lower Merion Alliance for Free Speech on Palestine have come out against the district’s actions.

“CAIR-Philadelphia and partner organizations condemn this act as a clear violation of students’ rights to free expression and a troubling example of racial and political profiling,” the groups said in a joint statement. “CAIR-Philadelphia and LMAFSP are particularly concerned that at Harriton High School graduation, also within the Lower Merion School District (LMSD), students were reportedly allowed to walk the graduation stage earlier last week with displays of the Israeli flag and messages of support for the Israeli hostages.”

The group Rabbis for Ceasefire echoed CAIR’s sentiment.

“Jews and other ethnic and religious groups are fundamentally safer in democratic societies that honor freedom of expression,” they said. “We support CAIR and partner organization’s requests for the LMSD to apologize, review its policies on student expression, and to foster a truly inclusive community.”

Below is a portion of the guidance the district provided to students and families regarding commencement:

4. Graduating seniors are expected to wear appropriate attire for the graduation ceremony:
● Appropriate: Dress pants, dress shoes, collared shirts or blouses, dresses or skirts.
● NOT appropriate: Flip-flops, hiking boots, athletic footwear, jeans, or shorts.
● Traditional caps and gowns will be worn at commencement. Caps and gowns will be distributed to graduating seniors after commencement practice on June 4. Gowns are to be fully zipped. Sleeves are not to be rolled up. Caps are to be properly placed on the top of the head with the mortarboard in the traditional position. All graduates will be wearing maroon gowns and white stoles.
o Caps may be decorated, but only in recognition of post–high school plans (e.g., college, military, employment, or other next steps). Messages must be appropriate for a formal school ceremony. Political or personal statements that distract from the purpose of the ceremony will not be permitted. The goal of this guideline is to maintain an inclusive and celebratory tone for all members of the graduating class. School administrators reserve the right to require the removal of any decoration deemed inconsistent with these expectations. 5. During the graduation procession, seniors are not permitted to carry any items (purses, keys, flowers, cameras, or cell phones, etc.) in their hands.

6. Beach balls, Silly string, noisemakers, etc. are not permitted in the facility during the graduation ceremony.

7. Additional items beyond the graduation tassel are not permitted to be attached to or written on the gown. Students may tastefully decorate their caps as it has been tradition for some students to decorate their caps with their college choices.

8. All school rules remain in effect during the ceremony. Disruptive behavior, including language, gestures, attire, or signage that detracts from the purpose of the ceremony, will not be permitted. This includes political messages or any other statements, visual or verbal, that shift focus away from celebrating the collective achievement of the graduating class. Students or guests who do not comply with these expectations may be removed from the event.

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