— A North Carolina mother said her son’s diploma was taken away from him after he wore a cord symbolizing military enlistment at graduation.

West Bladen High School makes it clear they have strict rules for the official graduation ceremony with an email and mail dictating the rules beforehand. But, the policy about graduation cords is one mother Wendy Paris says is ridiculous.

Paris couldn’t be happier that her son, Trey, joined the Army. He was even selected for a special assignment.

“We have a lot of family in the military,” she said. “He will be in international intelligence.

Trey, 18, is on the way to basic training after graduating from West Bladen High School last Friday.

“Trey and his friend, Desmond, who both had military cords, just decided that they worked hard for it and they were going to wear them,” Paris said.

Wearing their JROTC cords, the pair symbolized service to the program and commitment to enlist after graduation.

Just minutes after turning the tassel, celebration turned into punishment.

“It was kind of a slap in the face,” Paris said.

A school administrator took back Trey’s diploma, saying he broke the rules. Only pre-approved academic cords are allowed during the official graduation ceremony.

“Ms. Kelly came up to them and asked them if she could see the diplomas, and they handed them to her and she kept them,” Paris said.

Trey asked permission to wear the military cord a day before the ceremony, but was denied.

“I don’t have a problem with rules and policies, but some of them are ridiculous,” Paris said.

The school system ignored requests for an interview, but released the following statement:

“Nationally recognized academic cords are the only cords allowable or permissible during high school graduation. While not allowing a student to wear a military cord may lead to the perception that we are not patriotic, this could not be further from the truth.”

It is a truth Paris has a hard time believing.

“A child going through their whole school life, trying and working hard to get these awards and cords and honors, and then to look at them and say ‘Sorry, Joe over hear, he can wear his, we approve that one, but Sally, she can’t,’ it’s no different,” Paris said. “They’re all earned. They worked for them and they deserve to wear them because, sadly, after Friday night, they’re all going into somebody’s closet or drawer.”

Now, Paris said she wants the cord policy changed.

“It bothers me for other kids. There’s nothing I can do about mine now but, moving forward, I can make sure it doesn’t happen to somebody else,” she said.

A Bladen County Schools spokesperson said the high school does have a committee that approves which cords can be worn.

Paris was able to get her son’s diploma back the day after graduation.