It’s not a huge imposition to require students to avoid certain clothing — such as sports jerseys — in an effort to tamp down on gang activity.
We can’t take issue with the to ban jerseys with certain numbers, even if it rules out Peyton Manning apparel.
These are decisions that need to be made by people who work in schools and have an everyday understanding of what is a reasonable restriction.
The absolute key component of such a policy is whether it’s reasonable, because if it’s not, everyone affected — kids, parents and teachers — will know it.
A harsh rule that doesn’t address a real problem or does so ineffectively undermines the moral authority that must exist in every school.
In other words, kids may not agree with every rule, but if they think they’re being dealt with fairly, or they understand gangs are a problem, most of them will be all right with the rule, even if it’s only grudging teen-age acceptance.
Perhaps Greeley-Evans will reconsider the ban that outlaws the Broncos’ Peyton Manning jersey. If school administrators believe that relaxation won’t adversely affect school order, such an acknowledgement would probably earn them more respect from students, not less.
After all, Manning is a superstar quarterback, a hard worker and a good guy — just the kind of athlete you’d like students to look up to. According to NFLShop.com, his jersey is the most popular in the country.
As we said, we don’t take issue with dress restrictions in general even though we acknowledge — and support — student civil rights.
As the U.S. Supreme Court famously proclaimed in : “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”
However, it’s also true that when a student is in the custody of a school, the school can and often should act as a parent. “Reasonable” student backpack searches, for instance, have been established as legally allowable.
The courts, generally speaking, have sided with schools that prohibit certain clothing in order to stifle gang activity, so it strikes us that the district is probably on firm legal ground.
The finer needle to thread here is one of leadership and fairness. And those are questions for the Greeley-Evans district to answer.
