Schools have a limited authority to infringe upon a student’s free speech/expression rights, but this is just idiotic—especially in a [supposedly] enlightened, multicultural society like our own. Students from many cultures are permitted to wear traditional dress in our schools (provided they cover everything), so why not a student of Scottish descent?
It makes you wonder about our educational priorities in this country. With such immense effort going to enforcing gibberish dress codes, interfering with student newspapers, and generally harassing kids who express themselves, it’s no wonder that they can’t find the time to—you know—provide a sufficient education.
And if our schools insist on being discipline Nazis, they might as well bust the bullies (who provoke Columbine-style rage) instead of harmless kilt-wearing Scots or ‘anarchists’ with websites. Just a thought.
- Student Asked to Change Out of Kilt Seeks Dress Code Change (AP via CNN.com [no longer available]).
UPDATE: Josh points out in his blog that the school district finally apologized—after trying to ignore the ruckus for two months. Read about it from Reuters via Yahoo! News [no longer available]. I’m glad, but a belated, coerced apology does not change any of my comments above.