District 231 Limits Piercings and Bans PJ Pants

The Mayans did it in 500 B.C.E., so did the Ancient Aztecs and South American Indians. And for specific Buddhists and Hindu sects, it's considered a rite of passage.

But across the U.S., body piercing is very much a topic of controversy, one that  opened the door to.

, a committee of administrators, board members, parents and students came to a consensus on what they'd like to see in the 2011-12 handbook. And "surface" piercings on the lips, eyebrows, nose and cheeks did not make the cut. Neither did pajama pants, said Supt. M. Elizabeth Hart, which many people agree look sloppy and unprofessional in an educational environment.

Under the updated dress code, male and female students are allowed to wear earrings. According to the handbook, one facial piercing is allowed, in addition to ear piercings.

"This piercing cannot be a surface piercing, and it must be limited to a tiny, inconspicuous stud in the nose only," the new handbook reads. "For safety purposes in physical education, industrial technology classes, and athletic activities, the teacher/coach may require males and females to remove their jewelry."

“I really don't think [the school] has any jurisdiction,” said Mike Point, father of former D231 Student Ambassador Emma Point. “How can you say, 'you can have one piercing, but you can't have [multiple piercings]?' What are you going to do, split hairs?"

Upon first offense, students who violate the new rule may be issued a written warning. Parents may then be contacted, and the high school will instruct violators to remove any undue studs.

“I think the school is just trying to create a positive learning environment for students,” Point said. “I don't think having facial piercings fully defines who a student is.”

Moreover, students will not be allowed to wear pajama pants in school. Upon first offense they'll be warned, parents may be contacted and another style of pants must be found for students to wear.

“They're not for school,” Hart said. “If pajama pants are not appropriate for work, how are they appropriate in school?”

After the first offense for both dress code violations, discipline ranges from detention, to Saturday school, to suspension of violators.

“...when you see a student who looks like they've rolled out of bed, wearing pajama pants, you have to prepare them for real life," said Melanie Michalak, EPCHS English teacher and choir director. "Certain things are expected."

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, school boards throughout the state are allowed to adopt a dress code policy in some or all of their schools, that maintains an orderly environment for education, and that keeps students from endangering their health or safety. School boards may also adopt uniforms if they deem them necessary.

“We have no definite plans for uniforms,” Hart said. “We're just trying to create an appropriate level of dress.”

The committee is in

Each year EPCHS forms a committee for its new school handbook. This year, the school chose 10 students, who weren't seniors, so they will see the effects of their decisions next school year.

During the meeting, students, parents and administrators unanimously amended the facial piercings code.

Some students on the committee argued for pajama pants, but overall, everyone compromised.

"Sweat pants were also brought up," McGuire continued, "and we kind of hit the middle of the road and said, 'okay, how about if we allow sweat pants but not pajama pants?' Everyone was pretty much okay after that."

Both are distractions to students, McGuire argued, and the dress code is proactive – decided upon by the high school community each year, so they can see their rulings at work.

"I noticed it's a distraction when you're just talking to a kid," McGuire added. "We brought this in because some kids had so many...and [other] kids weren't paying attention in class because they were playing with their [piercings]."

Emma's father argued kids will misbehave regardless of body piercings.

"They'll play with anything," he said. "They'll play with pens – take away those, they'll play with paper, or the spiral on their notebooks. What are you going to do handcuff them?"

Freedom of expression? No, just a credible faith.

Since the high school is public, one might argue that limiting the amount of body piercings a student can have conflicts with the first amendment.

Along with freedom of speech and freedom of the press, freedom of expression is a right everyone, including high school students, is guaranteed at birth, as long as it's in a responsible, unoffensive manner.

"The exception [for breaking school dress code] is if it's for religious purposes," McGuire said. "If it's a legitimate thing then we would make an allowance for it."

The concern for the high school, then, is if a student can justify his or her body piercings as culturally, religiously or spiritually befitting.

"We would accept that if it was a legitimate claim," McGuire said, "and not somebody coming in and saying it. We'd [research] their background."

Emma Point argued that the new regulations exist to improve education at EPCHS.

“There goal isn't to limit freedom of expression,” Emma Point said, “but to make [the high school] a more comfortable environment that makes it easier to study.”

Michalak noted excessive piercings are a distraction for students, that neglect the bigger picture.

"A student of mine once wore a piercing through his eyebrow," Michalak recalled, "and it reflected the light so much, it shot into my eye. It was hard for me to teach when that happened.”

But is any distraction grounds for limiting what students feel good wearing – whether it's a t-shirt, tattoo or baseball cap – as long as its not blatantly offensive?

No, Georgetown University professor Robert Berns argues in his book Making Patriots.

“Government may not put the weight," Berns wrote, "of its authority behind any particular view of the good [under the U.S. constitution]. On all such matters it must be neutral...or non-judgmental.”

Freedom of expression is vital in high school, Michalak added, but it's the school's job to teach students what is culturally appropriate in society.

“I don't like that term, culturally proper,” Hart said. “We've brought young adults into decision making. We've determined that it's not acceptable.”

And though the high school should keep girls from wearing halter tops and skirts out of “normal dignity,” Emma's father added, both regulations beg public outrage.

“If you make something a big deal then everyone jumps on it,” Emma's father said. “Evergreen Park is a normal community, not that many radicals. If somebody makes an issue of the rule then [the district] will have to deal with it.”

Clarification: This story has been updated with more information from the District 231 2011-2012 handbook. There is no specific limit of ear piercings referenced in the handbook. We also removed the quote from Ms. Michalak for verification purposes. We apologize for the errors.