The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called for an investigation into the alleged discrimination after the Nampa School District in Idaho introduced a dress code that allegedly targeted Hispanic students.
In a complaint to the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, the ACLU notes that the Nampa School District, located near Boise, violates free speech, due process, and civil rights of students by imposing a code that considers certain clothing to be “gang-related clothing”so he demanded an investigation.
The code does not allow hats, bandanas, certain color shirts, slack or khaki shorts, chains, knee-length white socks, or wearing just one color.
Students are also not allowed to wear numbers 13, 14, 18 or similar.
Clothing resembling the cholo style is also prohibited.a hallmark of Mexican-American culture, as well as the Catholic rosary.
School police have also linked the gangs to the image of a black Aztec eagle known as “La Huelga”, which is the symbol of the United Farm Workers (UFW), founded by union leader Cesar Chavez.
Complaint sets an example the case of a boy who was branded as a “gang member” in elementary and middle school because of his clothes and for which he received several fineswhich remained in his case, creating a hostile and discriminatory environment against him.
The boy’s parents were unable to transfer him to another school because, according to disciplinary records, he was a “documented gang member” for violating the dress code.
Erica Rodart, Idaho’s ACLU attorney, said in a statement that this dress policy maintains a culture in the district that is disproportionately oriented and disciplines several generations of Hispanic students.
“Hispanic students are a vital part of Idaho and they deserve a place in the classroom where they don’t have the fear of being mislabeled, expelled or punished for who they are.”
The Nampa School District is the third largest school district in Idaho with over 15,000 students. 40 percent of them are Hispanic, which is one of the largest groups of Hispanic students in the state.
*According to EFE.
Source: La Opinion
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