Marion City Schools Dress Code- Hair Dye

Note: This petition is only to be signed by members of the Marion, Ohio community preferably from within the Marion City School District.

As stated directly in the Harding High School Student Handbook:
"Student Dress and Grooming

The Marion City Board of Education establishes the following student dress and grooming policy, which shall apply to all schools in the Marion City School District.

This policy if formulated to serve the following purpose:

1. To encourage young people to follow a mode of dress and grooming consistent with acceptable standards for students attending school.

2.To provide uniform guidelines for students, parents and school personnel.

3.To facilitate a proper, safe school atmosphere and learning environment which is void of disruption of any nature. All students shall dress and groom in a manner that displays neatness, cleanliness, decency, modesty, and respect for other. In the best interest of the educational program, extreme or unusual styles are not acceptable.

Administrative personnel are charged with the responsibility of enforcing this policy.

The following additional specific limitations shall be observed:

1.The unacceptable shall include but not be limited to: objectionable lettering, symbols, patches, and/or insignia as defined by administrators charged with this responsibility.

2.Hair shall be well groomed.

3.Facial hair shall be well groomed.

4.Shorts for boys and girls shall be permitted from the beginning of the school term until the end of the school term. Shorts worn by girls and boys shall adhere to the standards of modesty and decency. Cut offs and tight bike shorts will not be permitted.

5.Spaghetti straps, tank tops, muscle shirts, and off-the-shoulder shirts will not be permitted.

6.Garments will be considered inappropriate if they show undergarments, chest, cleavage, buttocks, or belly when the student stands, sits, bends, or raises the arms.

7.Girls skirts will be long enough so that undergarments will not be exposed.

8.Undergarments will be worn at all times.

9.Open footwear is acceptable, however, bare feet will not be permitted. Hosiery or socks will not be required.

10.No hats or head scarves will be worn by any student while the student is inside the building.

11.Attempts by students to call undue attention to themselves and/or disrupt the teaching-learning process shall not be permitted. This would include but not limited to inappropriate or extreme dress; DISTRACTING HAIR COLOR; distracting body piercing; or gang related dress (including bandannas); gang related jewelry; or clothing that advertised or displays tobacco, drugs or gang colors and insignias or references in any form.

12.Continued or flagrant abuses of this dress code may lead to disciplinary actions.

(Adopted date: December 14, 1987) Revised date: July 6, 1999"

Now, we would like to draw your attention to #11 and we'd like you to consider how hair color is "distracting" (Note that we are speaking of such colors that are not naturally grown.) Please consider that though these colors cannot be naturally grown, the same "distraction" occurs when someone dyes their hair a color that could be grown such as a darker shade of brown. This "distraction" usually only lasts a day or two despite those who are absent and don't see the change in color right away. Everyone usually gets used to it fairly quick and don't notice it. We don't see how the act of coloring your hair unnaturally "disrupts the teaching-learning process". And "calling undue attention": Those who are most likely to take this action are usually known as the "outcasts" of the school if you will. Others just like to be "different" and aren't necessarily tryin to "call undue attention" but more make a statement of their personality that they aren't like those considered normal by school authority: "preps, jocks, etc... those who wear Abercrombie and so forth" not to stereotype but school officials do so everyday singling out those who do not dress in such ways.

So our proposal is that the Marion City School System of Ohio remove this rule or change it so that high school students may perform this task. Students of Marion City have to go through schooling the first 9-10 years of their life and we believe high schoolers should receive a bit more freedom. This act does not interfer with learning as you see with the signatures found below. Thank you!