A North Carolina high school student had been denied their diploma at graduation because he was wearing a Mexican flag draped over his gown.

High school senior, Ever Lopez, is shown to have crossed the podium at Asheboro High School.

Principal Penny Crooks had paused to speak to him, and he tries to remove the flag, but the crowd had started to boo instead of cheering him on. He then keeps on his flag, finally receiving his certificate and poses to cameras with his fist in the air to acknowledge his hard work.

His cousin, Adolfo Hurtado, had posted a TikTok video that gained traction because it states that he did not get his diploma. His teacher expected him to apologize, but “obviously he’s not going to do that”.

Both Lopez and Hurtado have not responded to any of their requests to comment on the situation.

Alethea Hill, whose brother is close friends with Lopez, reveals that he was able to receive a diploma holder but was restricted from his actual diploma. This exchange was caught on camera, and was livestreamed on Facebook with another angle from Hurtado’s video and has become viral on the Internet.

Lopez’s family spoke to the school, which they insist that the Mexican flag had violated the dress code. The dress code prevents the wearing of any flag of any country.

The family was later seen being escorted by police officers. Officials have strongly denied the claims on social media that they were “racist,” insisting that if it was any other flag, they would have broken the rules as well.

A spokesman responds, “Unfortunately, the incident at AHS last night has been misrepresented across a number of social media platforms. The heart of the issue is the fact that the student did not follow the established dress code for the event and detracted from the importance and the solemnity of the ceremony. Our dress code is in place to ensure the dignity of the event is upheld and is fair to all students.”

“Our dress code is in place to ensure the dignity of the event is upheld and is fair to all students.”