Hundreds of students receive misspelled “gradutate” stoles for ceremony

Illinois high school students were left upset after seniors received stoles with “graduate” misspelled as “gradutate.”

Photos of the typo were shared on Facebook and other social media profiles following the Rich Township High School graduation ceremony last month.

The error was spotted by parents and students on the hundreds of stoles that were handed out to seniors.

Rich Township Highschool District (RTHS) officials admitted they did not check over the lettering until the sashes were handed out.

An RTHS statement seen by Newsweek read: “Regrettably, there was an error in the graduation sashes provided to us by our vendor, Herff Jones. This mistake went unnoticed until the sashes were distributed, and for that, we sincerely apologize.

“We are currently working diligently with Herff Jones to resolve this matter promptly. Replacement sashes with the correct spelling will be provided to all affected graduates and will be mailed out with the diplomas.”

It added: “Furthermore, we have reached out to the graduation photographer to ensure that the pictures taken will not be affected by this error. They will be photoshopping all pictures.

“We will send out communication when those pictures will be available for purchase. We are implementing measures to ensure such an error does not occur in the future.”

Yasir Bilal, who recently graduated, told independent news station WGN: “They could have checked before [the ceremony], because they made 600-plus. And all of them were spelled wrong.”

In a separate statement, Herff Jones President Ron Stoupa said: “On behalf of the entire Herff Jones team, I want to express our sincere apologies for the incorrect stoles that may have hindered your graduation experience.

“We understand the disappointment you are experiencing at the culmination of your education and the frustration this created for all involved.

“Herff Jones has a long-standing tradition of celebrating achievement, and we take great pride in walking alongside you to help recognize hard work and commitment. We regret that the products you received were not in line with the quality and standard you deserve.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. average high school graduation rate is 87 percent.

Illinois was not included in the 2019-20 report as its reporting standards did not meet the requirements to be included.

Newsweek has contacted the RTHS and parents for comment via Facebook and email.