5450.2: Cultural and Religious Attire

I.        Cultural and Religious Attire. Students are allowed to wear religious attire, adornments, and other attire associated with race, national origin, or religion, or tribal regalia.

A.    National Origin. National origin includes characteristic associated with actual or perceived place of birth, ancestry, or ethnicity including, but not limited to, skin color, natural and protective hairstyles, tribal regalia, and attire. 

B.    Race. Race includes characteristics associated with actual or perceived race, ancestry, or ethnicity including, but not limited to, skin color, natural and protective hairstyles, tribal regalia, and attire.

C.    Religious Attire and Characteristics Associated with Religion. Religious attire and characteristics associated with religion includes, but is not limited to, natural and protective hairstyles, tribal regalia, burkas, hijabs, head wraps, yarmulke, cross, or other headdress, adornments, and clothing garments used to express or observe one’s religious beliefs.

D.    Tribal Regalia. Tribal regalia includes natural and protective hairstyles and traditional garments, jewelry, or other adornments or similar objects of cultural significance worn by members of an indigenous tribe of the United States or another country. Tribal regalia does not include any dangerous weapon or, except in compliance with an appropriate federal permit, any object that is otherwise prohibited by federal law.

II.    Natural and Protective Hairstyles. Students are allowed to wear natural and protective hairstyles, including but not limited to, braids, locks, twists, tight coil or curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, afros, weaves, wigs, or head wraps.

III.    Student Hair. District staff and contractors shall not under any circumstances permanently or temporarily alter or cut a student’s hair.

IV.    Health and Safety Considerations. In school environments where the use of certain chemicals or equipment poses a direct safety hazard, students may be required to wear protective gear, such as lab coats and safety googles, which could cover clothing and hairstyles. Similarly, in physical education classes or during sports activities, students may need to modify their attire or secure their hair to ensure the safety of themselves and others. In such cases, a good faith effort shall be made to ensure student safety and to reasonably accommodate the student and notify the student’s parent or guardian, in a language that such student or guardian understands, of such an attempt to accommodate the student’s appearance or any attire, tribal regalia, hairstyles, adornment, or other characteristics associated with race, national origin, or religion.

A.    Parent Contact and Consent. Good faith efforts shall be made by District staff to contact the student’s parents or guardian, to discuss the school health and safety concerns and collaborate on accommodations and obtain written parent consent, before any safety adjustments or accommodations are made to the student’s appearance or any attire, tribal regalia, hairstyle, adornments, or other characteristics associated with race, national origin, or religion.

B.    Record Keeping. Records will be kept on each effort to reasonably accommodate a student’s appearance, attire, hairstyle, adornments, or other characteristics associated with race, national origin, or religion occurring at school, on school grounds, or at a school-sponsored event. Such records will include the student’s name, federally identified demographic characteristics, date of the occurrence, the health and safety standard relating to the accommodation, nature of the accommodation requested, staff involved, communications with parents or guardians, and the outcome of the effort.