Name:

News Story 2: Stacy Carol

The school will have a disciplinary hearing “in an attempt” to remove “sophomore” Stacy
Carol to the alternative school until she follows the dress code.
Two weeks before, Stacy was suspended for three days for refusing to remove her lip-
piercing jewelry. When she got back to school she was still wearing the jewelry and was put in-
school suspension for the past nine school days. Stacy and her mother are a part of a church
and they believe that they should have the freedom to have their practices with body
modification rites.
“We don’t worship a tattooed god or anything like that,” Carol said. “Our spirituality
comes from what we choose to do to ourselves. Through body modification, we can change
how we see ourselves and the world around us.”
Stacy has her belief that she should have an excuse because of her church. Her mother
is one of her supporters and she believes that her daughter should have her first amendment
rights. She thinks that Stacy should be able to wear her lip jewelry.
“The piercing is part of Stacy’s religion,” Stacy’s mom said. “My daughter wants to go to
class, but she also doesn’t want her First Amendment rights trampled. I asked Stacy if she
wanted to back down and take out the lip jewelry, but she believes in our church and in our
freedom.”
Even though her mom believes her and supports her decisions there are some others
who don’t believe that she should be able to have an excuse for it.
“People cry First Amendment violations all of the time,” constitutional lawyer “Jett
Ramirez” said. “Freedom of religion is a big one. Just because a few people get together and
call themselves a church doesn’t mean they are a church in the eyes of the law.”
Ramirez said he does not agree what Stacy and her mother believes and takes it as an
excuse to get her way. There are some others too that believe that she is making excuses.
“We have a dress code to have order and discipline in our schools, Superintendent
Parker Gordon said. “Imagine what our schools would be like if we allowed students to wear
whatever they liked. We also want our students to understand expectations in dress. Employers
have dress codes. We are modeling the business world with our expectations.”
It’s true that they do have a policy and Stacy didn’t follow it even after being in
suspension. She believed in her own thing that some others don’t believe that's the case. The
ACLU lawyer decided to help Stacy out and this is their take on this situation.
“Stacy has a solid case.” ACLU lawyer Sonia Stephens said. “It is in the best interest of
the school district to allow her a religious exemption from the dress code. A court case could be
costly and lengthy. The district doesn’t have much to stand on since it already has two religious
exemptions on file. It will be hard pressed to defend that in a court.”