Do Educators in the USA have the right to remove religious head garb in schools?

Quote :

TULSA, Okla. — The Muskogee school system has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum and change its dress code to settle a lawsuit involving a sixth-grade Muslim girl who was suspended for wearing a religious head scarf to school, officials announced yesterday.

"We are happy and glad it's over," said Rose Hearn, whose daughter Nashala Hearn was the focus of the case. "My daughter stands up for what she believes in."

The agreement requires the Muskogee Public School District to change its dress code to allow exceptions for religious reasons, said R. Alexander Acosta, assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights.

"This settlement reaffirms the principle that public schools cannot require students to check their faith at the schoolhouse door," he said.

Acosta said school officials raised their initial objections on Sept. 11, 2003 — exactly two years after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington — even though the girl had worn the scarf for several weeks. The officials, Acosta said, told her that other students were "frightened" by her scarf.

"It is un-American to fear and to hate," Acosta said.

Hearn has been allowed to wear the scarf pending settlement of her lawsuit, which sought $80,000 in damages and requested the dress-code changes. The Justice Department joined the lawsuit in March. The settlement was filed in U.S. District Court in Muskogee.

The Rutherford Institute, a Virginia-based civil liberties group, sued the district in federal court on the Hearn family's behalf in October, claiming the district's dress code violates Nashala's rights to free speech and exercise of religion.

The district suspended Hearn twice in October for wearing a head scarf to Benjamin Franklin Science Academy that officials believed violated the district's dress code.

The sixth-grader wears the hijab as part of her observance of the Muslim religion. She was allowed to continue wearing the scarf after returning to school but the district's policy has remained intact.

"It's been hard on her," Rose Hearn said. "She lives day by day with her head up high. I tell her she's got to be strong.

"Every day there is a lot of discrimination going around. People just need to get along, no matter what your race or religion."

The settlement requires the district to put in place a training program for all teachers and administrators about the new dress code and to publicize the change.

Muskogee Superintendent Eldon Gleichman said yesterday that he could not comment on the settlement because he had not yet received a copy of it. In the past, he has said the district's ban on headwear is fair and consistent. He has said other groups, including gangs and Satanists, could take advantage of any change in the headwear policy.

A recently passed law in France forbids conspicuous religious symbols and clothing in schools. The law was enacted mainly to defuse controversy about Muslim head scarves but also applies to such things as the Jewish yarmulke and large Christian crosses.

The Justice Department has taken pains after the Sept. 11 attacks to address complaints of discrimination and hate crimes brought by Arab-Americans and other Muslims. Some Muslim groups have been critical of government anti-terrorism efforts as singling them out for harsh treatment and extra scrutiny.

This is another debate that has been raging. I am curious on how the rest of the site feels on this too.

SOONERS I politely ask you refrain from the yamaka babble. I'd like to discuss this.

Sorry but lol at the Sooners comment.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Sorry but lol at the Sooners comment.

You're a sad excuse for a combat message board poster.

hardcoreBEE24 wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Sorry but lol at the Sooners comment.

You're a sad excuse for a combat message board poster.

So says the guy that enjoys little kids being shot and blown up.

Wolf seriously at this point this is just sad.

We've been debating these issues in 60 threads for over a week. Time to put them to bed.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

We've been debating these issues in 60 threads for over a week. Time to put them to bed.

OK, Whatever you say. LOL

Yo, you have a stance, take it soonermark. Or are you backing off the point finally?

No public schools don't (a private school can) .. and to compare what a Yamaka is to a Yankees baseball cap is ridiculous ..

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Yo, you have a stance, take it soonermark. Or are you backing off the point finally?

No its just funny you have to ask people for help because you cant handle the argument yourself. LOL

GolbeZ wrote:

No public schools don't (a private school can) .. and to compare what a Yamaka is to a Yankees baseball cap is ridiculous ..

Yes they can Golbez. And we were comparing them because right now that is how they are classified in the schools.

No sooners. They are not. You're a sad individual.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

No sooners. They are not. You're a sad individual.

OK Wolf you tell me out of your vast experience on the issue. Why do you think that is? Go ahead tell me about all those days you spend inside our public schools.

My last point on this is that I am a teacher inside our public schools right now. They are not allowed to wear it. Plain and simple. You dont know shit about it because you have zero fucking clue about anything that goes on inside our schools. Its sad that you would sit here and have to ask people who also really dont know either for help.

soonermark890 wrote:

GolbeZ wrote:

No public schools don't (a private school can) .. and to compare what a Yamaka is to a Yankees baseball cap is ridiculous ..

Yes they can Golbez. And we were comparing them because right now that is how they are classified in the schools.

Not where I went to school.. and if they did I would have transfered. No matter how many bills that have "In God We Trust" it took.

GolbeZ wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

GolbeZ wrote:

No public schools don't (a private school can) .. and to compare what a Yamaka is to a Yankees baseball cap is ridiculous ..

Yes they can Golbez. And we were comparing them because right now that is how they are classified in the schools.

Not where I went to school.. and if they did I would have transfered. No matter how many bills that have "In God We Trust" it took.

See you missed the argument. Wolf leaves out a lot of shit. He said every public school in america has to allow it. And sorry guys in the south most schools do not allow it. I am not saying I agree with that. I just am stating facts.

You're just wrong. Just because you got a C average in college and coach a girls basketball team doesn't mean you can change the constitution dude. You and your school are wrong if you really believe that.


What happens ultimately if someone sues your school over that type oppression?

soonermark890 wrote:

GolbeZ wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

GolbeZ wrote:

No public schools don't (a private school can) .. and to compare what a Yamaka is to a Yankees baseball cap is ridiculous ..

Yes they can Golbez. And we were comparing them because right now that is how they are classified in the schools.

Not where I went to school.. and if they did I would have transfered. No matter how many bills that have "In God We Trust" it took.

See you missed the argument. Wolf leaves out a lot of shit. He said every public school in america has to allow it. And sorry guys in the south most schools do not allow it. I am not saying I agree with that. I just am stating facts.

I live in the south.

In Sydney last week a girl got suspended because she dyed her hair in many different colours.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

In Sydney last week a girl got suspended because she dyed her hair in many different colours.

What type of religious rights do you have there? Ours are pretty clear, even if low level educators don't fully understand the constitution. I suppose it's natural though for educators to want to enforce as much power as possible, beyond what is allowed in the constitution.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

You're just wrong. Just because you got a C average in college and coach a girls basketball team doesn't mean you can change the constitution dude. You and your school are wrong if you really believe that.


What happens ultimately if someone sues your school over that type oppression?

LOL and here comes the insults. LOL
Go ahead and tell me where it says in the constitution that you can wear hats in schools. Please show me?

GolbeZ wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

GolbeZ wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

GolbeZ wrote:

No public schools don't (a private school can) .. and to compare what a Yamaka is to a Yankees baseball cap is ridiculous ..

Yes they can Golbez. And we were comparing them because right now that is how they are classified in the schools.

Not where I went to school.. and if they did I would have transfered. No matter how many bills that have "In God We Trust" it took.

See you missed the argument. Wolf leaves out a lot of shit. He said every public school in america has to allow it. And sorry guys in the south most schools do not allow it. I am not saying I agree with that. I just am stating facts.

I live in the south.

I said most not all Golbez.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

In Sydney last week a girl got suspended because she dyed her hair in many different colours.

What type of religious rights do you have there? Ours are pretty clear, even if low level educators don't fully understand the constitution. I suppose it's natural though for educators to want to enforce as much power as possible, beyond what is allowed in the constitution.

See this is why you cant argue with wolf because he resorts to acting like a 5 year old.

Yamakas are not hats.

What happens if your school gets sued by a Jew or Muslim. Would the federal government not join the suit as they did last time?

Soonermark, what would happen is this lawsuit would be brought up and the school would change it's policy effective immediately. It probably wouldn't even last longer than an angry parent's phone call.


Don't duck my question. What happens Monday if you make a Jew take his "hat off"?

soonermark890 wrote:

Wolfgangsta wrote:

You're just wrong. Just because you got a C average in college and coach a girls basketball team doesn't mean you can change the constitution dude. You and your school are wrong if you really believe that.


What happens ultimately if someone sues your school over that type oppression?

LOL and here comes the insults. LOL
Go ahead and tell me where it says in the constitution that you can wear hats in schools. Please show me?

the 1st amendment...

if this was taken to federal court .. it would be an easy win to change your schools policy.

There is no getting through to soonermark.