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A Thomas Jefferson High School student killed in 2021 can receive a high school diploma, thanks to a new law.
Daveon Elliott was 18 years old when he was shot on Nov. 11, 2021, in the Westover neighborhood of south Richmond. An arrest has not been made as of May 2023, according to Richmond police. (Another shooting that rocked the city in June occurred after this year’s Huguenot High School graduation at the Altria Theater and resulted in the deaths of Shawn Jackson, 18, and his stepfather, Renzo Smith, 36. Jackson had received his diploma before the incident, in which a suspect has been apprehended.)
In March 2022, friends and family protested outside Elliott’s high school, calling, among other things, for him to be awarded a posthumous diploma. At the time, the school division was unable to grant an exception to state graduation requirements, so a certification of completion was offered instead. The 2022 Thomas Jefferson graduation featured a tribute to Elliott.
“A lot of kids look up to him; they look forward to seeing him when he comes to school,” his mother, Miche Crumm, told NBC 12. “I want justice. I want a diploma, and I want this to stop.”
As of July 1, Elliott can now receive his diploma. The General Assembly unanimously passed HB 1514, introduced by Del. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond. The legislation allows the Board of Education to waive graduation requirements and award a high school diploma on a case-by-case basis. A parent of the student must request the waiver, and the student must have been in good standing during their senior year.
“I felt that allowing for posthumous diplomas would be a small but significant gesture that honors a deceased student’s final journey and offers solace and closure to grieving families,” Adams says. “I would hope that the Board of Education waives the requirements for any deceased student who is eligible under the bill should their family request a diploma. I know of several families that will take advantage of the new law.”
