Grad waving a Mexican flag edited out of Tri-City school’s video
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Graduate was edited out of the archived graduation video.
- District said the unapproved flag segment was removed from the official recording.
- District supports appropriate cultural items but approves which items for events.
A Legacy High School graduate who unfurled and waved a flag of Mexico at the school’s commencement ceremony on Friday was edited out of the archived video.
Eduardo Birrueta, 18, of Kennewick, says he was surprised to see his walk was removed when he came back to the recorded video the day after graduation.
“I found that very confusing. I played the live back like three times, and was, like, why don’t I see myself,” he told the Tri-City Herald on Monday.
He’d wanted to share it with family members. Birrueta said he was the only one to be removed from the recording and is now asking for Kennewick School District to put him back in.
“I feel that we should all be able to represent where we come from and who we are,” Birrueta said. “Whether we come from the United States, or outside the United States, everybody should be able to represent their roots and not be clipped out of the video just for representing their flag.”
Why the video was edited
The school district said in a statement that it supports students’ rights to wear “appropriate items of cultural significance” at graduation, as allowed under state law.
But it also has authority to determine which items meet those guidelines at school-sponsored events.
“During a recent graduation ceremony, a student displayed a flag that had not been approved in advance and did not align with the district’s guidelines regarding approved items of cultural significance. As a result, the district removed that portion of the footage from the official graduation recording,” the Tuesday statement read.
It’s not uncommon for students to don sashes and stoles that display the colors from their home nation or culture. But photos taken at the commencement show Legacy students mostly stuck to the basic blue and turquoise cap and gown regalia.
Birrueta’s surprise expression stood out among the 39 graduates who were recognized last week by Legacy, a choice public school that helps students who struggle in the general education environment or who have specific academic needs.
On Friday, 2026 graduates took selfies on stage and waved to families as they received their diplomas. Announcers read off short “thanks yous” and speeches that Legacy students wrote to reflect on their time at the school.
Video posted to social media by Birrueta showed attendees cheering as he took the flag out from underneath his gown before being handed his diploma and shaking hands with administrators.
He characterized the choice to remove him from the recording as “discriminatory,” though Birrueta said he wasn’t disciplined by the school for his actions.
“Graduation, that’s a very big thing, a very important thing,” he said. “In this world, with all the ICE and all the politics going around, that’s where I kind of felt, like, are you serious?”
The school was like his second home
About half of the student population that attends Legacy High School comes from Latino or Hispanic backgrounds. Across the district, that number is a bit lower at 46%.
Kennewick also hosts the largest share of students in the Tri-Cities recognized under the federal Migrant Education Program. Nearly 10% of its student population — about 1,800 children of migratory agriculture workers or fishers — received some form of educational assistance or support services this school year.
Birrueta’s mother works in an apple orchard, and has worked to raise him and his six siblings. His father is out of the picture.
After high school, he plans to go into real estate or to join the trades. He wants to make enough to “retire” his mom from her long, laborious work days.
Birrueta transferred to Legacy his sophomore year from Southridge High School to receive more direct instructional support from teachers.
His mother, siblings, nieces and nephews attended last week’s ceremony to see Birrueta graduate with his diploma and a seal of biliteracy.
Although the decision to clip him out of graduation left a sour taste in his mouth, Birrueta said that doesn’t overshadow the great experience he’s had at Legacy.
What he loved most about the school was that his peers had a story and came to school every day with real-life hardships and experiences.
“Legacy staff are honestly a perfect fit. They really do help their students a lot,” he said. “I loved that school. It felt like a second home.”
Earlier this year, the Kennewick School Board passed a new policy that limits any social, civic or political flags from being permanently displayed in the classroom in an effort to prop up the American flag and boost patriotism.
School board leadership said the new rules would set clear expectations for educators about what classrooms should be and asserted that it was not a gay pride flag ban.
Opponents of the move warned it would chill free speech, especially in the queer community, with one school board member calling it a “solution looking for a problem.”
The decision to remove Birrueta from the recording does not appear to be related to the new policy.
