MALDEN — A Massachusetts constitution faculty the place an eighth grade scholar was written up for a uniform infraction for sporting a hijab says it understands its “handling of the situation came across as insensitive.”
A member of the family of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School scholar posted on social media an image of the “School Uniform Compliance Form” the scholar obtained from a instructor for the hijab on Thursday. In the outline of the infraction, the scarf worn by Muslim girls was misspelled as “jihab.”
The faculty stated in an emailed assertion that it permits college students to put on spiritual apparel “as an expression of their sincerely held beliefs,” however asks college students to supply a letter “expressing this desire from a member of their clergy.”
School Superintendent Alex Dan stated there have been no penalties given to the scholar and that the shape despatched house was meant to start out the dialog with the household about acquiring a spiritual lodging. But Dan acknowledged that the state of affairs was mishandled.
“While we would like to reiterate that the well-respected staff member overseeing the process should bear no responsibility for what has transpired, we understand how our handling of the situation came across as insensitive and look forward to using this moment as a learning opportunity to improve our policies and procedures,” the varsity’s assertion stated.
The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations says its legal professionals are representing the scholar’s household and are investigating the state of affairs. The scholar is now sporting a hijab at college, the group stated.
CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud stated sporting a hijab or different spiritual apparel shouldn’t require households to hunt an lodging.
“I would like never for that student have to justify what she is wearing,” she stated Sunday. “I don’t want them to ever have to justify that this requires an accommodation.”
The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School additionally got here below hearth in 2017 for a coverage of banning hair braid extensions. The dad and mom of then-15-year-olds stated their twin daughters, who’re Black, had been punished for sporting extensions whereas white college students hadn’t been punished for violations of haircut rules.
After intense criticism, together with from Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, the varsity deserted the coverage.
In July, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed a legislation prompted by that incident to ban discrimination primarily based on pure and protecting hairstyles — comparable to Afros, cornrows or tightly coiled twists — in workplaces, faculty districts and school-related organizations within the state.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”