Following public outcry, two Hawaii high schools are reconsidering their announced pandemic-related bans on giving graduation lei.

Leilehua High School last week had initially announced it would prohibit all giving of graduation lei, as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, for its commencement ceremony May 20 on the campus in Wahiawa. Some upset parents started a petition and took to phones, the news media and social media to protest.

Late Tuesday, Leilehua Principal Jason Nakamoto said his school is now offering a compromise: Leilehua’s 350 graduating seniors will be able to receive lei, but only from their respective household members. Graduates will be dismissed in small waves to receive lei and congratulations, and should exit promptly to make space for the next group.

“As with any school-based event, we are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of everyone on campus,” Nakamoto said. “We understand the cultural significance of lei giving at graduation. We unfortunately do not have adequate space to safely accommodate 350 graduates and an unlimited number of guests on the field all at once.”

Leilehua parent Mahina Chillingworth said she wishes community input had been sought ahead of time, but she is glad for the compromise. “The kids have endured so much” in the pandemic, she said. “Why not give the kids a break?”

For her graduating son, Nainoa Stevenson, she said she now plans to get maile lei, his favorite.

“This is our local tradition,” she said. “We all love getting lei just because, but more so when you graduate. It’s how much leis can you get above your head.”

Baldwin High School on Maui also had announced a lei ban. But Baldwin Principal Keoni Wilhelm said Tuesday in a statement, “We want our graduates to be able to celebrate their graduation with family and friends in a way that honors our island traditions. With graduation still more than four weeks away, we are looking at how we might be able to incorporate lei-giving while maintaining the safety of all participants. Any updates will be shared with students and families.”

A Department of Education statement noted that it never explicitly prohibited lei giving, but gave schools flexibility to determine their own pandemic safety rules for their graduation ceremonies.