ECS parent addresses BOE over dress code concerns

An upset Enterprise City Schools parent addressed the school board during its Oct. 28 meeting over the Enterprise High School dress code.

More explicitly, ECS parent Laynetta Powell is concerned with Rule No. 7 in the EHS Dress Code that states that male students may not wear earrings.

“Students are not to wear jewelry, ornaments or accessories which distract from the learning environment or may pose a safety risk/hazard (ex, excessively large, noisy jewelry, capes, flags and or/belts),” the rule states. “Males may not wear earrings. Facial and/or tongue jewelry is not allowed for males and females. No decorative dental appliances (whether permanent or temporary) or decorative contact lenses will be allowed, unless prescribed by a physician or dentist.”

Powell – who is an educator – cited this rule as an example of a lack of progress in the “City of Progress.”

“I remember riding into Enterprise about six years ago, in the middle of the night. The water tower on (Highway) 167 told us that Enterprise was the ‘City of Progress’ and my husband and I smiled at the notion,” Powell said. “In our time here we have seen progress first hand as active parents for our student’s clubs and sports, the development of new businesses around Boll Weevil Circle and even on stage acting at Southern Broadway. However, when I reviewed the Enterprise High School Dress Code I wondered where the progress disappeared to.

“I’m an educator and a former high school teacher, so I understand the purpose of a dress code. Anything that disrupts or distracts from the learning environment is not appropriate. However, No. 7 states that ‘males may not wear earrings.’ This is the lack of progress I would like to focus on.”

Powell said that her son wears earrings as a form of “self-expression” and that she has been given two different reasons for why ECS has this rule in the dress code.

“My son is a proud homosexual boy and wearing earrings are a part of his self-expression,” Powell explained. “I was given two reasons for this being a part of the dress code. First, at one point in Enterprise history, boys with earrings were gang affiliated.

“I have confirmed with actual gang members that say earrings in this community are not associated with gang affiliation. Also, if earrings are gang paraphernalia, can girls not be in gangs, too? The second reason was that it’s just not ‘normal.’ According to Title IX and the constitution, equal protection is guaranteed. A school’s dress code can’t treat boys and girls differently or force students to conform to sex stereotypes.”

Powell compared this part of the dress code to censorship of student expression and that the school may be holding on to this rule to pacify some parents.

“Although some school officials try to justify censoring student expression by claiming it’s disruptive, I believe what you all may be worried about is that other students’ parents might not like it,” she said. “But, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), courts have consistently ruled that a school’s concern about other students reactions to an LGBT image doesn’t justify censoring it.”

Powell said that she feels that there is also a stigma in regards to it being unprofessional for males to wear earrings.

“Another concern school officials may have is that earrings on boys is not preparing them for a professional life. Men wearing earrings still carries a social stigma against male femininity,” Powell emphasized. “However, in 2020, in a ‘City of Progress,’ male femininity doesn’t have to be hidden anymore.

“I would present to you the following professions to consider and the following people who have ear piercings: tattoo artists, regular artists, cartoonists, actors, dancers, singers, drag queens, producers, directors, all manners of creative, clothing store workers, café workers, restaurant owners, massage therapists, bartenders and all kinds of frontline workers. Then we have Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Michael Jordan, Keith Urban and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.”

Powell said that in 2020 the standard of success isn’t limited to the “straight white Christian male banking CEO image.”

Powell said that she began a petition on AVAAZ on Oct. 23 and had received 58 signatures in support of changing the dress code and has also contacted the ACLU.

“I know that the values of this city include progress but this dress code does not reflect the values of progress,” Powell said. “Please provide a more valid reason for this rule than the reasons I have been given so far, which have no merit. Otherwise, please consider updating the dress code and removing the rule that boys cannot wear earrings.”

Enterprise superintendent Greg Faught said that the parent’s concerns would be looked into.

“We take all parental concerns under advisement,” Faught said in a statement. “Customarily, all student handbook changes are made in the summer.”

In other business, the school board approved 10 72-passenger buses as a part of the school system’s fleet renewal program, at a total cost of $872,279.40, from Sourcewell. Also, the board approved a contract with Sumlar Therapy Services for occupational and physical therapy services for the special education department.

The schedules for the basketball and wrestling programs were also approved.

Faught also addressed the schools distance learning students.

“As many of you know, at the beginning of the school year we started with around 20 percent of our students staying at home for distance learning, and that number actually increased slightly after school started to just above 20 percent, but currently we have about 11 percent of our students at home for distance learning,” Faught said. “Many of those students are doing very well but we do have a few who are struggling in that area. So, we’re in close contact with those parents and students frequently and encouraging them to allow us to help them at home or to get them back in school so we can help face-to-face.”

Faught also thanked staff members that secured a DoDEA grant for the school system. The grant is provided by the Department of Defense to public schools that are educated military-connected students.

“I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to Christine Strickland, Tiffany Fowler and Patrick Cain for securing the latest DoDEA grant,” Faught said. “It was a long shot that we could receive this grant because we had received other DoDEA grants in the past, and preference was given to school systems who have not received one.”

Faught said that $1.5 million over the next five years will go to the school to be used to purchase STEM supplies for classrooms, fund health and wellness coaches and purchase a military-grade obstacle course for the JROTC program.

“This is not one of the obstacle courses like you might find behind Holly Hill or somewhere else, it is a substantial, big-time Tough Mudder type obstacle course that will test you,” Faught said. “JROTC is really excited about getting it and hopefully they can venture into competitions around the state. Our next stop is finding a place to put it but I’m really excited.”

Faught also said that the school system has received a $12,450 annual community service grant presented by Sen. Jimmy Holley as well as $19,000 from Rep. Rhett Marques.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m.