‘Let her walk’: After public outcry, Cumberland exchange student walks at graduation

CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — A Cumberland High School exchange student was allowed to walk at graduation Wednesday night following a last-minute reversal sparked by community backlash.

Clara—a foreign exchange student from France—was blindsided and confused when school leaders pulled her aside after rehearsal wrapped on Tuesday, telling her she would not be able to participate in the ceremony, according to Cumberland School Committee member Jason Dean.

Dean said Clara’s host family emailed the entire committee expressing that she was devastated and had never been told she couldn’t walk.

Not only was it never communicated to Clara or her host family, but Dean said the school allowed her to go through the full graduation preparation process: paying dues, ordering a cap and gown, and submitting the proper pronunciation of her name.

Cumberland Superintendent Philip Thornton explained the district’s graduation policy to 12 News, citing I-14 High School Proficiency Based Graduation, which states, “Only students who demonstrate fulfillment of […] graduation requirements and proficiencies shall participate in the graduation ceremony and receive a diploma.”

Dean clarified that Clara was not looking to get a diploma, but wanted recognition for completing her senior year abroad.

“Since November, she had assumed she was going to be allowed to walk across the stage,” Dean explained. “She never thought she was going to get a diploma.”

“The policy that the superintendent quoted didn’t mention foreign exchange students or people who weren’t matriculating for the diploma from other countries,” he added.

The decision prompted swift backlash from parents and community members, who criticized the school for poor communication and a lack of transparency. Word spread quickly on social media, with several people saying Clara had been “led on” and raising concerns about the “fairness and inclusivity” of the district’s policies.

In response, two emergency meetings were called — the first an executive session behind closed doors, which Dean said he strongly opposed.

“Whatever can be done in the public eye, in the spirit of transparency, should be done in the public eye,” Dean said. “Unfortunately, they didn’t invite the student or the host parents to that meeting, so when we did go from executive to the public session, they weren’t there to explain themselves.”

In the interim, the superintendent reportedly said Clara’s previous host family was notified in July 2024 that she wouldn’t be able to walk. However, Dean said that was not clearly communicated to her current host when she transferred.

He said Clara was so confident she’d be participating that she moved her return flight to France ahead of the ceremony.

On Wednesday morning, the principal issued a statement saying he stood by his decision, a position backed by the superintendent, leaving it up to the School Committee to make the final call.

“This policy was adhered to by the teachers and administration in the district and applied to all students equally,” Thornton told 12 News. “As the policy makers in the district, the school committee has the authority to forgo the strict adherence to a given policy.”

Ultimately, the committee met Wednesday morning and voted 6-0 to let Clara walk and, according to Thornton, be recognized for completing a year as a foreign exchange student. After a stressful 48 hours, she crossed the stage that night alongside her classmates.

“It really was the political uproar that caused the special meeting,” Dean said, adding that the justification for the reversal was the short notice of the situation.

Dean said that the committee plans to revisit the district’s policy to prevent similar confusion in the future, such as students who may receive diplomas after summer school.