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The United States is a
diverse country, with people of many faiths and backgrounds. Within the context of a school’s
dress code, it's important to allow all students to conform with the rules
and traditions of their religions, and to respect their need to identify with
their family's history and culture.
Why? Because an important
part of education is learning about one’s own religion, history, and culture.
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Muslim Girl
Suspended for Head Scarf
”An 11-year-old Oklahoma girl has been suspended from a public
school because officials said her Muslim head scarf violates dress code
policies. …School officials instituted a dress code in
1997 prohibiting the wearing of hats and other head coverings indoors.
Officials said they implemented the code to stem gang-related activity. Hern
declined to remove her hijab, saying it would violate the way she observes
her religion. …"
As I see it right now, I don't think we can make a special accommodation for
religious wear," said school attorney D.D. Hayes. "You treat
religious items the same as you would as any other item, no better, no worse.
Our dress code prohibits headgear, period." …
He added that, under the dress code, a Jewish child would not be allowed to
wear a yarmulke, the skullcap traditionally worn by orthodox Jews, to school.
Honestly, now, should the administration of
this school be entrusted to teach children about America’s heritage of
religious freedom and tolerance?
What were they thinking?
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High school witch sues for the
right to wear a penticle to represent her Wiccan faith
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Government school bans cross
necklaces
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Indians want to wear traditional
dress to graduation, District says no
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Feather, Tribal Cloth Cost
Diplomas
"An American Indian who
hung an eagle feather from her mortarboard and two blacks who wore a multicolored
African tribal cloth with their graduation gowns were denied their high
school diplomas..., The district is withholding their Muskogee High School
diplomas and transcripts until they complete 25 days in summer school as
punishment. "
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When the Principal Becomes
a Fashion Cop - Young woman wears African head wrap to school
What my
classmates found really ridiculous was how the administration-at a school
that prides itself on embracing ethnic diversity-could be so ignorant as to
insist that under the dress code, a cultural statement like a head wrap is
the equivalent of a baseball cap."
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Florida Student Suspended for
Wearing Cuban Flag Necklace
"The ACLU brought an action in Palm Beach County Circuit Court on
behalf of Peter after he was prohibited by school officials from wearing a
beaded necklace at his high school that had a Cuban flag on it."
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Girl With Black Lipstick Files
Suit
"Karla
is an individual," her mother, Connie, told the newswire service.
"She's a good kid. ... She chose to wear this makeup, and it's no
biggie. It's just a trend."
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Dress Codes - Religion in
the Public Schools
"Guidelines for a
growing and changing phenomenon."
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Public school dress code
challenged on religious-liberty grounds
Catherine Hicks, Aaron's great-grandmother and guardian, wrote letters to
the McIver principal and the district superintendent in July saying she was a
minister in two Christian churches and had a "great relationship with
Jesus." She added that complying with the dress code would "amount
to allegiance to the spirit of the Antichrist."
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For
more on religious and cultural issues, look at my Gender
& Sexuality (GLBTQ) page and my Legal Issues page.
"Beware of all
enterprises which require new clothes"
-- Thoreau
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