The students within Rutherford County Schools have asked, multiple times, to be allowed to wear their cultural and/or religious attire at the East Rutherford High School graduation ceremony of 2022. The requests of several students of color have been denied and any further attempts at contact have been swept under the rug and ignored for months. Principal Mr. Tim Torvinen and Superintendent Dr. David Sutton have both been asked multiple times by multiple students if they are allowed to wear their cultural and/or religious attire to the graduation ceremony and both of them have denied these students. Despite saying no, the Rutherford County Schools handbook, the Executive Order 13798 of May 4, 2017, sections 1 and 2, the Free Exercise Clause, the Executive Order 13798 Notice of October 6, 2017, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protect these student’s rights to not be discriminated against culturally, religiously, or racially. The Rutherford County Schools board members and Principal Mr. Tim Torvinen have shown unprofessionalism not only through their discrimination, but also through their lack of communication skills. 

The POC students of Rutherford County Schools want to be able to wear their cultural and/or religious attire, that meet the respective school’s dress code, to their graduation ceremonies for 2022 and in the future. Please email Principal Tim Torvinen of ERHS at ttorvinen@rcsnc.org and Superintendent Dr. David Sutton at dsutton@rcsnc.org