{"id":2715,"date":"2025-10-15T23:05:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T23:05:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/2715\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T23:05:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T23:05:20","slug":"lower-merion-high-school-student-forced-to-remove-keffiyeh-print-scarf-at-graduation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/2715\/","title":{"rendered":"Lower Merion High School student forced to remove keffiyeh-print scarf at graduation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, Lower Merion<\/a>! \ud83d\udc4b<\/p>\n

A high school senior said they were forced to remove a keffiyeh-print scarf during Lower Merion High School\u2019s graduation last week<\/a>, causing a local organization to call for the district\u2019s apology. Also this week, we take a look at the possibility of red light cameras being installed in Lower Merion<\/a> and preview two new eateries coming to Ardmore<\/a>. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a few months since we first launched this newsletter, and we want to hear from you. How are we doing? Tell us by taking our survey<\/a> or emailing us at lowermerion@inquirer.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Lower Merion High School student said they were forced to remove a keffiyeh-print headscarf to participate in the school\u2019s graduation ceremony at Villanova University last week. <\/p>\n

The student, who declined to be interviewed on the record, said on Instagram that they were told by school administrators that wearing the covering was deemed a \u201cpolitical statement,\u201d something prohibited at graduation, The Inquirer\u2019s Maddie Hanna reports. The student, who took off the scarf, said they were monitored during the ceremony and led out by police after receiving their diploma.<\/p>\n

In the wake of the incident, the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on district officials to apologize and revise its policies.<\/p>\n

The incident comes as the district continues to grapple with speech around the Israel-Hamas war, with some saying it\u2019s not doing enough to stop antisemitism<\/a> and others saying the district has wrongly accused them of antisemitism.<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more about how the incident unfolded here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a good chance that red light cameras will soon be installed at certain intersections in Lower Merion. <\/p>\n

Last week, the board of commissioners moved forward an ordinance that would allow the police department to install enforcement cameras at some of the township\u2019s busiest intersections, The Inquirer\u2019s Denali Sagner reports. <\/p>\n

If the program moves ahead, red light offenders at those intersections would be recorded, with tickets issued after footage is reviewed by Lower Merion police. Violations would carry a maximum $100 fine and no points on a driver\u2019s license. <\/p>\n

While the ordinance won\u2019t be officially voted on until the commissioners\u2019 July 16 meeting, it received wide support from law enforcement and the board last week.<\/p>\n

Read more about the red light camera program here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca1 Community News<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfeb Schools Briefing<\/p>\n

Tuesday is the last day of the 2024-25 academic year. All Lower Merion schools will close early, with middle schools dismissing at 11:25 a.m., high schools at 12:05 p.m., and elementary schools at 12:35 p.m. <\/p>\n

In a new report, The Inquirer investigated<\/a> how Pennsylvania teachers are disciplined for misconduct. In Lower Merion, two educators have had their teaching certification revoked and three have surrendered their license since 2013, according to a review of the state\u2019s disciplinary actions.<\/p>\n

The school district has partnered with the Narberth Community Food Bank to provide free summer meals<\/a> to anyone 18 and under. Meals will be available Mondays through Thursdays from June 30 to Aug. 7 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f On our Plate<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb3 Things to Do<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 Pride at the Park<\/a>: Celebrate Pride month with this youth-led festival featuring food, live music, local artists, and vendors. \u23f0 Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccd Narberth Park<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbb Mostly Mozart<\/a>: The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will perform Mozart\u2019s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in the garden. \u23f0 Saturday, June 14, 7 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $15-$100 \ud83d\udccd Stoneleigh<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf66 Father\u2019s Day Ice Cream Social<\/a>: Celebrate dad with yard games, goats, crafts, and all-you-can-eat premium Golden Guernsey Ice Cream. \u23f0 Sunday, June 15, 1-4 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $6.98-$12.16, free for dads \ud83d\udccd Harriton House<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb5 Rhett Miller<\/a>: The Old 97\u2019s frontman headlines the next Bryn Mawr Twilight Concert. \u23f0 Sunday, June 15, 7 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $24.84 \ud83d\udccd Bryn Mawr Gazebo<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc1b Insect Safari for Kids<\/a>: Search for bugs and learn about plants at Stoneleigh. \u23f0 Wednesday, June 18, 10:15-11:15 a.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $5 for children \ud83d\udccd Stoneleigh<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa8 Juneteenth Crafternoon<\/a>: Celebrate the holiday by making a special craft. \u23f0 Wednesday, June 18, 3-5 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccd Gladwyne Library <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd5\ufe0f Camp Night<\/a>: Kids 8 to 12 years old can play games, sing, and make crafts. \u23f0 Wednesday, June 18, 6:30-8 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccd Bala Cynwyd Library<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Music in the Park<\/a>: Singer-songwriter Craig Bickhardt headlines next week\u2019s event. \u23f0 Wednesday, June 18, 7 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccd Chet Tyson Pavilion<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude97 Worth the drive:<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf88 Chester County Balloon Festival<\/a>: See hot air balloons take to the sky or hop aboard one yourself at this annual three-day festival. On Sunday, the Brandywine Region Antique Automobile Club of America will also host a car show<\/a>. \u23f0 Friday, June 13-Sunday, June 15 \ud83d\udcb5 Varies \ud83d\udccd Willowdale Steeplechase <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe1 On the Market<\/p>\n

An elegant home with a backyard oasis<\/a><\/p>\n

This four-bedroom Bryn Mawr home offers ample privacy. Built in 1937 and inspired by the Appleford estate in Villanova, this Colonial Revival backs up to eight acres of protected forest and features architectural details like arched doorways, varied-width hardwood floors, and dentil molding. Luxuriously appointed, the primary suite has a dressing room, soaking tub, and steam shower, while the lower level features a game room, gym, sauna, and wine storage. There\u2019s also a separate lower-level suite complete with a kitchenette. On the main level, an updated chef\u2019s kitchen has Viking ovens, a warming drawer, and a custom walnut island. The home\u2019s backyard features a pool, stone terrace, outdoor kitchen with a fireplace and pizza oven, a gazebo, plus a cedar hot tub and outdoor shower. <\/p>\n

Price: $2.795M | Size: 4,936 SF | Acreage: .78<\/p>\n

Have you seen an interesting listing in or around Lower Merion? Share it with us in an email to lowermerion@inquirer.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcc8 Lower Merion market report<\/p>\n

Median listing price: $995,000 (up $45,050 from April) \ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n

Median sold price: $960,000 (up $182,500 from April) \ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n

Median days on the market: 29 (up three days from April) \ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n

This Lower Merion market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for May from realtor.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udde3\ufe0f We want to hear from you!<\/p>\n

See something we\u2019re missing? Want to alert us about a community event? Take our survey<\/a> or reach out to us at lowermerion@inquirer.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By submitting your written, visual, and\/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer\u2019s Terms of Use<\/a>, including the grant of rights in Section 10.<\/p>\n

This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer\u2019s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com\/donate<\/a>. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org\/supporters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hi, Lower Merion! \ud83d\udc4b A high school senior said they were forced to remove a keffiyeh-print scarf during…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2716,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[183,185,184,186,2390],"class_list":["post-2715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lower-merion","tag-lower-merion","tag-lower-merion-headlines","tag-lower-merion-news","tag-lower-merion-township","tag-lower-merion-high-school-graduation-keffiyeh-red-light-cameras"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}