Native American Clovis High senior says school won't let him wear feather

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

A Clovis High School student is going to court over the school districts refusal to allow him to wear a feather on his graduation cap. The Native American student says the eagle feather is a symbol of his pride.

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Clovis High School student is going to court over the school districts refusal to allow him to wear a feather on his graduation cap. The Native American student says the eagle feather is a symbol of his pride.

An eagle feather, attached to a Clovis High School graduation tassel is what Christian Titman wants hanging from his cap on graduation day. He says it's a symbol of his Native American pride.

Christian explained, "I'm really proud of myself my parents are proud so my dad wanted to give me an eagle feather."

But according to the Clovis Unified School District policy, no cultural, religious or other adornment is allowed to be visible during the graduation ceremony.

Clovis Unified School District spokesperson Kelli Avants said, "In Clovis Unified our traditions is a content neutral graduation for students... a form of unity."

Christian and his parents have been discussing this with the district for months, and have enlisted the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. By phone from San Francisco attorney Novella Coleman says it's clear the school district policy is wrong.

The district has offered a compromise, to allow Christian to put on his feather after he's been handed his diploma, technically, after he's graduated.