Public elementary and secondary schools; dress or grooming codes. (HB2104)

Introduced By

Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-Woodbridge) with support from co-patrons Del. Hala Ayala (D-Woodbridge), Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church), and Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas Park)

Description

Public elementary and secondary schools; dress or grooming codes. Requires any dress or grooming code, which the bill defines as any practice, policy, or portion of a code of student conduct adopted by a school board that governs or restricts the attire of any enrolled student, to (i) permit any student to wear any religiously, ethnically, or culturally specific or significant head covering or hairstyle, including hijabs, yarmulkes, headwraps, braids, dreadlocks, and cornrows; (ii) maintain gender neutrality by subjecting any student to the same set of rules and standards regardless of gender; (iii) be clear, specific, and objective and avoid any subjective term or standard such as "distracting," "provocative," or "inappropriate"; (iv) prohibit any school board employee from enforcing the dress or grooming code by direct physical contact with a student or a student's attire; and (v) prohibit any school board employee from requiring a student to undress in front of any other individual, including the enforcing school board employee, to comply with the dress or grooming code. The bill requires the Board of Education to include in its guidelines and model policies for codes of student conduct standards for dress or grooming codes. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History