‘INSENSITIVE’

Massachusetts Middle Schooler Gets Uniform Citation Over Hijab

The charter school acknowledged it had mishandled the situation.

After an eighth-grade student was sent home with a “School Uniform Compliance Form” for wearing a hijab to class, the Massachusetts school she attends admitted that its “handling of the situation came across as insensitive.” A Mystic Valley Regional Charter School teacher handed the unnamed middle schooler the form, which described her religious head covering as a “jihab,” according to the Associated Press. Alexander Dan, the school’s superintendent, said the student hadn’t been punished. The form had been intended to alert her family that the school’s policy requires students to provide a letter “from a member of their clergy” explaining their religious garments, the charter school said in a statement. It added that it looked forward “to using this moment as a learning opportunity.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Massachusetts office said the student was wearing the hijab at her school and that its lawyers were investigating the matter.