Will Clovis students caught with alcohol at prom walk at graduation?
The Buchanan and Clovis North seniors who admitted to possessing alcohol on prom night won’t be crossing the graduation stage alongside their classmates, after all.
Instead, the students’ schools have contacted their families to schedule a time to pick up their diplomas outside their formal graduation ceremonies, according to Clovis Unified.
Steve Smith, an attorney representing eight out of nine students impacted by the matter, shared the update in a statement Tuesday morning. The students were suspended from walking at graduation after admitting to school officials of possessing alcohol on a party bus headed to their May 3 prom.
The prom incident involved about 30 students, and Smith has argued that his clients were unfairly disciplined by the school district for taking responsibility while the other students who didn’t admit wrongdoing kept their graduation ceremony privileges.
With Buchanan and Clovis North hosting their graduation ceremonies Tuesday and Wednesday night, respectively, Smith said the students and their families ran out of time after Clovis Unified School District trustees rejected their appeals.
Smith said the decision lacked due process. Smith alleged the student whose family procured the party bus didn’t face disciplinary action, along with the student of a “CUSD big wig” Smith says was involved in the prom incident.
Smith said Clovis Unified trustee Dr. Steven Fogg “offered to hold private grad ceremonies” for the eight families Smith represents.
Fogg clarified to The Bee that he wouldn’t be holding a private ceremony. He said the students should still be proud of themselves for their accomplishment, even if they may be disappointed about not being able to participate in graduation ceremonies.
Following the failed appeals, Smith expects the families to “file formal complaints” against the board and select members of Clovis North personnel.
Clovis Unified spokesperson Kelly Avants said Tuesday afternoon that the district stands by its decision to discipline the students, who signed senior contracts spelling out the rules.
The school district investigated the incident, Avants said, and “received no new information that warrants a different outcome in this situation.”
Avants said Smith was told by the district “that there was no formal avenue of appeal to the School Board in student discipline decisions of this nature.”
The district hasn’t received any notice of further legal actions as of Tuesday morning, Avants said.
“While having compassion for students who face uncomfortable consequences for their behavior choices, we also owe it to all of our students to be an organization that consistently keeps our word,” Avants said.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 4:42 PM.
