Episode 93 Speakers, Singers, and Sashes: Planning for a Successful Graduation Ceremony

Graduation season is fast approaching and now is the time for selecting speakers, auditioning singers and all the other details that go into planning a successful event. On this Lozano Smith podcast, host Sloan Simmons and his guests Partners and Lozano Smith Student Practice Group Leaders, Ruth Mendyk and Kyle Raney , walk through parameters and considerations in preparing for the ceremony itself, including speeches, music, adornments and more. The group also discusses the basics that being included in the ceremony is not a guarantee, but should be considered a privilege for students to participate. Show Notes & References 1:14 – Participating in graduation: a privilege, not a right ( Swany v. San Ramon Valley Unified Sch. Dist. (N.D. Cal. 1989) 720 F.Supp. 764) 4:00 – Best practices for districts to communicate graduation policies and parameters 7:27 – Non-public forums of graduation ceremonies 10:01 – Due process regarding student participation ( Castro v. Clovis Unified School District (U.S.D.C. E.D. Cal. 2022) Case No. 1:19-cv-00821-DAD-SKO) ( Client News Brief 29 – June 2022 ) 12:31 – Students on the mic ( Lassonde v. Pleasanton Unified School District (2003) 320 F.3d 979) 16:42 – Invocations and religious speech ( Cole v. Oroville Union High School District (9 th Cir. 2000) 228 F.3d 1092) 19:19 – Prayer at graduation ( Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022) 142 S.Ct. 2407) ( Client News Brief 31 – July 2022 ) 23:34 – Alternative bases for regulating expression ( Corder v. Lewis Palmer School District No. 38 (U.S.D.C. D. Col. 2009) Case No. 08-1293 and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988) 484 U.S. 260) ( Education Code section 48907 ) 26:55 – Songs and instrumental music ( Nurre v. Whitehead (9 th Cir. 2009) 580 F.3d 1087) 30:13 – Student fees and free school guarantee – caps and gowns and senior activities 32:02 – Adornment of cap and gown ( Education Code section 35183.1 )   For more information on the topics discussed in this podcast, please visit our website at:   Disclaimer: As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this podcast episode does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.

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Episode 93 Speakers, Singers, and Sashes: Planning for a Successful Graduation Ceremony is an episode from Let’s Talk - Lozano Smith Podcast by Lozano Smith.

This episode is 40:15 long.

This episode was published on Apr 25, 2025.

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