Teacher Gives Student The Shoes Off His Own Feet At Graduation Ceremony

June 4, 2021

A Louisiana high school senior's shoes almost kept him from walking across the stage at graduation -- until a teacher gave him the shoes off his own feet.

teacher gives student his own shoes graduation
Daverius Peters / Credit: Jima Smith

Daverius Peters almost couldn't graduate because of the shoes he was wearing. Peters was wearing a pair of black sneakers with white soles. A school employee at the door told him the shoes he had on weren't allowed and wouldn't let him inside.

"They are black and white, they said you have to wear black colored, dark-colored shoes. She closed the door, she just closed it on my face," Peters said.

The 18-year-old said he was pacing outside when he saw teacher John Butler and told him what happened.

"This is the biggest moment of your life up to this point and nobody is going to take that away from you," said Butler.

"It was just a no-brainer to me to just take my shoes off and give them to him."

teacher gives student his own shoes graduation
John Butler, left, and Daverius Peters

But they were big shoes to fill. Literally.

"Well, his shoes are two sizes bigger," said Peters. "I wear a 9, he wears an 11, so they felt like slippers. I was asking him, your daughter is graduating also with me, how are you going to watch her? He said I'm walking in with no shoes."

The two went inside and Peters was able to graduate.

People are praising Butler for stepping in to help, but he says it was nothing.

"Be kind to one another, be thoughtful, be empathetic, try to understand where other people are coming from. I just try my best to be the best human that I possibly can best for my kids. And I try to lead by example every day," Butler said.