Kolwe told ABC News that Jones — and several other male students — had been warned many times before graduation to remove all facial hair. Even moments before the actual ceremony, Kolwe told CBS affiliate WWL, the students were given the opportunity to go to the restroom to shave.
The student was warned so the school is not at fault. There are some rules you follow and some you don't. He'll need to make that determination in life. Was this worth it? Hopefully later in life when he looks back at his high school years he doesn't wish he had just followed the "no beard" rule and participated in the ceremony as the valedictorian. That opportunity only comes once in life for a select few people. IMO, although kind of stupid, it's a fairly benign rule. I would have just shaved and participated in the ceremony. I mean, it's not like you're curing world hunger or correcting some major civil right injustice here. It's just a stupid rule. Just follow it and have fun with your classmates.