Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
Quote:
District Relents, Allows Boy To Wear Skirt To School
POSTED: 6:49 am EST January 25, 2006
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J. -- New Jersey high school senior Michael Coviello will get to wear skirts to school, as long as they are an acceptable length.
Michael, 17, started wearing skirts as a protest against the Hasbrouck Heights School District dress code. The district's dress code bans shorts between Oct. 1 and April 15, but allows skirts, a policy Coviello believes is discriminatory.
At first, Coviello wore a costume-style dress over the objection of high school officials.
The ACLU said the district's superintendent then advised the Coviello to purchase every-day dresses and skirts at a retail store, which Coviello did.
But administrators didn't find anything funny in his challenge to the rule. After a few days, the student was sent home with a note from his principal saying if he wore a dress, kilt or skirt, he could no longer attend school.
Michael contends the no-shorts policy is discriminatory because girls are allowed to show their legs while wearing skirts.
The American Civil Liberties Union came to Michael's defense. The school district isn't relaxing the no-shorts rule, but the ACLU said Michael can now wear a skirt if he wants.
Coviello's father said at first, he was embarrassed see his son in a skirt, but figures if his son's comfortable with it, it should be OK with him, too.
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
All the schools here make you wear uniform - black blazer, tie in horrible school colours, flannel trousers in charcoal grey. One rule was that boy's hair wasn't allowed to touch their collars at the back, or fall into their eyes at the front. Girls were meant to have theirs tied back, but regularly got away with having it tinted, died and so on.
In fourth year (I was 14/15) I decided to grow my hair, and eventually kicked off a huge row with the school. I got put in detention every lunch time, threatened with expulsion, all the shit they could throw at me. I argued that since I couldn't suddenly grow long hair when I got home, whereas I could take my blazer and tie off, it was freedom of expression. This didn't fly. Eventually, after a long series of harassment, where I was put in detention for 'obviously' having done things wrong, after being identified because of my hair, there was a sitdown with the principal and I was told either get my hair cut or get out.
So I got it cut. Then I started growing it again, noticing the Human Rights Act (thank you Europe), which guaranteed my right to freedom of expression, and my right not to be discriminated on the grounds of my sex. I wore my hair in a ponytail, so that it wasn't on my collar or in my eyes. It still wasn't allowed. So I started a petition and got three hundred signatures protesting at the school's illegal uniform policy. It was ignored.
Eventually I let it be known that I was going to sue the school, and they backed down. I was 18. I hope this guy wins his case.
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denverapolis wrote:
it's a confirmed fact that orangutans are nature's ninja.
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
Probably they think its their responsiblity to set the rules, not the kids.
But would you agree that perhaps one of the most important lessons a kid can learn during the course of his or her education is that if a governing body sets up a rule or guideline for those it governs which is arbitrary or baseless then it is the duty of those who are governed to challenge it?
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:20 am Posts: 5198 Location: Connecticut Gender: Male
MF wrote:
Are Jersey winters really warm enough to warrant a pair of shorts. I'm 100% behind student rights but this just reeks of attention seeking.
You'd be suprised how many people up here in the Northeast wear shorts well into November. I think it's nuts as well. I'm done with shorts by the end of september.
As for this kid, let him wear shorts. I hate the idea of dress codes.
I will qualify my statements by saying that yes, it does seem that it would be unlikely for anyone in Jersey to wear shorts during the majority of the time between Oct 1st. & April 15th. However, why the hell does the school need to make a rule that bans shorts during what is essentially winter? If some dumbass wants to wear shorts when its freezing cold in January, its his problem.
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
Probably they think its their responsiblity to set the rules, not the kids.
But would you agree that perhaps one of the most important lessons a kid can learn during the course of his or her education is that if a governing body sets up a rule or guideline for those it governs which is arbitrary or baseless then it is the duty of those who are governed to challenge it?
This is a fantastic point. My school made a big deal about creating independent learners and young citizens who would think for themselves, be creative, express themselves well and do their civic duty. Then look what happened.
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denverapolis wrote:
it's a confirmed fact that orangutans are nature's ninja.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
stuzzo wrote:
I had a similar experience.
Was that a private school or public.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
stuzzo wrote:
B wrote:
stuzzo wrote:
I had a similar experience.
Was that a private school or public.
Public, all schools in Northern Ireland have a uniform, and there are only a handful of private schools, none of which I could afford to go to.
I figure a private school could get away with that, but I doubt a public school could.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
I figure a private school could get away with that, but I doubt a public school could.
They got away with it, alright. Schools here are pretty strict about stuff like that. You don't go to your nearest school, we have academic selection at 11, so I passed and got to go to the grammar school. I'm pretty sure their uniform policy is online, I'll dig it up.
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denverapolis wrote:
it's a confirmed fact that orangutans are nature's ninja.
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
Probably they think its their responsiblity to set the rules, not the kids.
But would you agree that perhaps one of the most important lessons a kid can learn during the course of his or her education is that if a governing body sets up a rule or guideline for those it governs which is arbitrary or baseless then it is the duty of those who are governed to challenge it?
This is a fantastic point. My school made a big deal about creating independent learners and young citizens who would think for themselves, be creative, express themselves well and do their civic duty. Then look what happened.
I'm asking this in all seriousness; what happened?
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
Probably they think its their responsiblity to set the rules, not the kids.
But would you agree that perhaps one of the most important lessons a kid can learn during the course of his or her education is that if a governing body sets up a rule or guideline for those it governs which is arbitrary or baseless then it is the duty of those who are governed to challenge it?
This is a fantastic point. My school made a big deal about creating independent learners and young citizens who would think for themselves, be creative, express themselves well and do their civic duty. Then look what happened.
I'm asking this in all seriousness; what happened?
I posted it just slightly above, it details my battle with them to have long hair.
PS - I like how polite you were there!
_________________
denverapolis wrote:
it's a confirmed fact that orangutans are nature's ninja.
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
Probably they think its their responsiblity to set the rules, not the kids.
But would you agree that perhaps one of the most important lessons a kid can learn during the course of his or her education is that if a governing body sets up a rule or guideline for those it governs which is arbitrary or baseless then it is the duty of those who are governed to challenge it?
I guess but I also think its important that they learn you can't alwasy get your way. If this was my kid I'd smack him in the back of the head and tell him to follow the dress code just like I have to follow the dress code where I work.
i had a perspective employer ask me if i would take out my eyebrow piercings.
i told her: "if there is a rule that the teachers cannot wear earrings anywhere on their face or head, including ears, then I will take them out."
she said there was no such rule and hired me.
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Why would the school fight that in court instead of just letting kids wear shorts?
Probably they think its their responsiblity to set the rules, not the kids.
But would you agree that perhaps one of the most important lessons a kid can learn during the course of his or her education is that if a governing body sets up a rule or guideline for those it governs which is arbitrary or baseless then it is the duty of those who are governed to challenge it?
I guess but I also think its important that they learn you can't alwasy get your way. If this was my kid I'd smack him in the back of the head and tell him to follow the dress code just like I have to follow the dress code where I work.
Oh, I agree that its important for kids to learn they can't always have their way. But like I say, I think it is equally important for them to learn to not blindly subject themselves to people in positions of power. Perhaps the greatest lesson of all to be learned is in knowing which response a given situation requires i.e. when are you in the right to fight against something you see as baseless and only a rule or requirement because someone in a position of power says it is so and when is it a situation to shut up and deal with something because that's just the way it is and you can't always have your way.
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