When Tradition Isn’t So “White and Simple” at CNY Graduation

Graduation Dress Choice Turns Into Viral Moment in Webb

In the Town of Webb, a group of graduating seniors decided to do something simple — and something that’s been done in their school tradition for as long as anyone can remember. They wore white gowns for graduation.

The district had moved to a single maroon gown policy, which administrators say was designed to create “unity” under a “one district, one color” approach. However, one student was issued a gown in a different shade of maroon than the rest of her class. Rather than allowing her to stand out as the only one dressed differently, her classmates wanted to wear white to show their support.

Since previous graduating classes had worn white, they felt it was the right choice. When students attempted to discuss the change with the administration before graduation, they said they were told no.

That disagreement is now at the center of a much bigger conversation after the students were later notified they could face disciplinary action for wearing white gowns anyway.

Students With Records of Excellence

These aren’t students skating by. They’re award winners, record breakers, honor roll-level achievers, athletes, and community volunteers. By every measure, they’ve already proven themselves long before they ever walked across the graduation stage.

That’s part of why the reaction has been so strong — people are struggling to understand how a symbolic dress choice at a ceremony could outweigh years of achievement.

Supporters are saying it feels like a punishment that doesn’t match the moment.

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What the District Says

Town of Webb UFSD Superintendent Jennifer Dunn said the gowns are not policy. "It was a given uniform for the ceremony (similar to sports, and wearing the 'school' uniform)."

Under New York State Education Law, a superintendent generally can't suspend a student after they have officially graduated.

"Once a student receives their diploma and the district marks them as graduated, they are no longer subject to compulsory attendance or the district's disciplinary jurisdiction; therefore, the district's request to hold the students responsible for not following their graduation dress code was just that, a request."

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Most importantly, Dunn emphasized that the focus should stay on celebrating the students’ accomplishments.

The Town of Webb UFSD would like to express their congratulations to the Class of 2026 and want them to recognize that they should be proud of all of their awards, accomplishments and accolades to being productive citizens and members of the workforce, collegiate world and professional careers.

The Town of Webb UFSD supports being a unified group of individuals and wants to ensure that the multi-year decision to exemplify the unity of the Timberwolves was made after multiple discussions with various stakeholders, a Strategic Plan, and new Vision/Mission statement that came after the mandated change of their mascot.

The Town of Webb UFSD continues to stand by their Board of Education Policies, Procedures, Code of Conduct and NYS’s Dignity for all Students Act, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and relies on the guidelines of the NYS Department of Education’s Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Education Framework of ensuring equality without disparity of any one protected class, and are proud of the individualization recognition each student has demonstrated through their accomplishments and achievements.

Where Things Stand

Students are now calling for clearer communication and more student involvement in future decisions affecting ceremonies and traditions.

Many say the issue isn’t about discipline, but about preserving dialogue and ensuring students feel heard in decisions that shape milestone moments like graduation.

For now, the conversation continues both locally and online — with strong opinions on all sides about tradition, policy, and how graduation memories are made.