SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton is leading a measure that would ensure Illinois schools would permit students to display articles of clothing that have cultural or religious significance at their graduation.

“Graduates should have the right to represent who they are,” said Glowiak Hilton. “Discrimination, of any kind, has no place in our schools.”

The measure requires the Illinois State Board of Education, in consultation with stakeholders, to create resource materials to list items that relate to a student’s cultural, ethnic and religious identity that schools should recognize and protect in its dress code policies regarding graduation attire.

This issue was first brought to Glowiak Hilton’s attention last year, when a student was denied walking at his graduation ceremony because he was wearing culturally significant Native American regalia on his graduation cap.

Senate Bill 1446 passed the Senate on Thursday and now heads to the House for further consideration.

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