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News Story 2: Stacy Carol

News Story 2: Stacy Carol

Abby Mathew

In response to sophomore Stacy Carol’s refusal to take off her lip jewelry to follow the school
dress code, the school administration will have a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, April 10 to remove
Stacy to an alternative school until she removes her lip jewelry.
The school dress code prohibits facial piercings except for ears for girls, and headwear except for
two Muslim students to wear their hijabs. Two weeks ago, Stacy was suspended for three days because
she refused to remove her lip-piercing. After the three-day suspension, Stacy returned to school
continuing to wear her piercing; thus, she has been in In-School Suspension for the past nine school days.
“I have never been suspended,” Stacy said. “I have never had a referral. I am a straight-A student.
I just want to get back to class.”
Stacy is a part of the Church of Body Modification; an interfaith church with 3,500 members in
the U.S. that practices body modification to express one’s connection to the divine. By the school pushing
for her disciplinary hearing, Stacy has said that her First Amendment right to freedom of religion is being
violated.
“We don’t worship a tattooed god or anything like that,” Stacy said. “Our spirituality comes from
what we choose to do to ourselves.”
However, the school administration continues to push obedience to the school dress code despite
Stacy’s claims.
“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.”
Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) agreed to defend Stacy’s rights at her
disciplinary hearing. If Stacy were to lose, the ACLU would pursue this issue in court.
“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. The district doesn’t have much to
stand on since it already has two religious exemptions on file.”
Consequently, some Muslim students like junior Amina Shakuri said it is unfair to unnecessarily
bring in and compare the Islamic faith to Stacy’s faith.
“I don’t think you can compare the Muslim religion to the Church of Body Modification,”
Shakuri said. “We have a rich and long history. I don’t have a problem with Stacy’s lip piercing, but
comparing her lip piercing to my hijab is absurd.”
Stacy’s mother, Lareina, is hopeful for Stacy’s future and for her voice to be heard at the hearing.
“The piercing is part of Stacy’s religion,” Lareina said. “She wants to stand up for herself and for
that, I am proud.”