Massena HS Diversity Club wants gender-neutral grad attire; Native American regalia will not be affected

By Andy Gardner

MASSENA. The Massena High School Diversity Club is asking the Board of Education to consider making their graduation gowns a single gender-neutral color.

Paul Haggett, who chairs the board’s Policy Committee, brought up the request during the board’s June 18 meeting held online via Zoom.

“They are interested in modifying graduation dress to include a single-color graduation gown that would be for all students, except for the approved Native American dress,” Haggett said. “We expect to be looking at another dress code policy change as it relates to graduation, probably in the coming school year.”

Students currently wear gendered blue gowns for males or red gowns for females.

“That is in an effort to make graduation more of a gender-neutral event,” Haggett said.

Native American students are allowed to wear traditional regalia, or they can wear the standard cap and gown with a stole signifying their heritage. That would not be affected.

The Policy Committee recently changed the graduation dress code after Board of Education Trustee Kevin Perretta said he thinks the district is allowing too many cords and stoles to be worn by students at graduation. He raised the issue during a Board of Education meeting last year.

Perretta said he felt they should be limited to strictly academic achievements.

The new policy allows cords and stoles “such honors are usually academic in nature, but others may be considered in rare circumstances for distinctions held in high esteem by the school.”

Cords and stoles already being worn at the time of the policy change are still allowed.