A former homecoming queen in Texas has been barred from returning to her high school to crown her successor because she wore a stole representing her Mexican heritage to her graduation ceremony. Kayleigh Craddock, the reigning homecoming queen at Brazosport High School in Freeport, Texas, had been looking forward to continuing the tradition of crowning the next queen. However, the school district informed her that she was not welcome due to her violation of the dress code at graduation. The district claimed that students had been informed of the dress code beforehand and that Craddock refused to comply. Craddock and her mother, Cynthia Vasquez, dispute this claim and argue that she would have removed the stole if instructed to do so.
Craddock, now a freshman at Sam Houston State University, expressed pride in wearing the stole to accept her diploma, stating that she wanted to represent her culture and be proud of her Mexican heritage. However, she insists that she would have adhered to the dress code if she had been told that the stole was not allowed. Vasquez emphasizes that other students at the graduation were also wearing stoles and feels that her daughter is being unfairly singled out and punished.
Vasquez has reached out to the school district but has not received a response. With homecoming just days away, she hopes that the school and the district will reconsider their decision. This incident comes shortly after another Texas parent filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the state for failing to enforce the CROWN Act, a law that protects against hair discrimination. The family argues that their son’s hairstyle, which violates the school dress code, should be protected under the CROWN Act as it is associated with race.