School asking daughter to remove small cross despite religious symbols policy

[FanFckingTastic]

I'm looking for some advice and thoughts!

DD is 15 and at secondary school. She has always worn a small silver cross - at primary school this was never an issue (it was a church school) Up until this point it's not been an issue at secondary school either. The cross is very small and is tucked into her shirt so you would have to be really looking for it in order to see it. She always removes it for PE etc.

Last Monday her head of year saw the cross and asked her to remove it. My daughter replied that it was her cross, and that she didn't want to. She was then approached and asked to remove it every day for the remainder of the week, with increasing threats of sanctions if she didn't comply with the schools 'no jewelry' rule. My daughter kept reiterating that this was her cross, and asked the teacher to speak with me. Finally on Friday I received an email to tell me that my daughter needed to take her cross off.

I completely understand the new jewelry rule but wonder how this sits alongside the responsibility that the school has under the equalities act 2010. In their uniform policy it states that it will 'allow pupils to wear headscarves and other religious or cultural symbols' I would interpret this to include a cross too?

My daughter wears her cross as a sign of her faith and really wants to continue to do this.

Has anyone come across this situation before? If so, what was the solution?

Christ said render that which is Caesar's unto Caesar, when asked about paying taxes to Rome if they were Christians. So she should follow the school's policy and find a different way to express her faith.

If others are allowed necklaces, she should be allowed a cross. If they're not, then she will have to find another way of showing her faith.

They're not breaches of a no jewellery rule, though.

Separate the issues and get your facts before you start a battle.
The school has a jewellery ban, do they make any exceptions on religious or ethnic grounds.
They allow headscarves etc where these are part a standard wear for people of a particular religion. To the best of my knowledge there is not a similar item of apparel for Christian’s.
A cross does not have to be on a chain or worn to show. I made a silver cross in the past for someone whose job precluded wearing jewellery. It was sewn into a leather wallet.

Because jewelry is not permitted.

If it were a cross patch sewn on to her school bag or a sticker on her pencil case that would be fine. But jewelry is not allowed.

That is not what that verse means.

Please don't try to school people on the words of Christ which is not what this post is about. It's about the legality, or lack thereof, of the schools actions.

There are Christian groups who have a dress policy (think brethren) but none that required jewelry or other symbols that I'm aware of.

I wasn’t trying to “school” anyone. I was talking about the legalities of the school’s actions, not making a statement against Christianity.

A school can legally have a no-jewellery policy if it’s applied consistently and proportionately.

That doesn’t mean faith stops mattering. It just means schools are allowed to set certain rules.

That’s why I said if jewellery isn’t allowed, someone can still find another way to express their faith. That seems like a pretty balanced position to me.

Wow. Over-react much??

There is no religious requirement to wear a headscarf
It's purely cultural

Which sect of Christianity is it that includes wearing a cross as an actual part of its followers' faith practice, rather than simply a personal preference?

I'm sure the school policy relates to the actual requirements of a faith practice (as interpreted by the faith community of which the pupil is a member), not to a personal desire to wear something that is evocative of one's faith.

So, for example, it would be wrongful to prevent the wearing of a kippah, but (as I understand it - apologies to Jewish MNers if I'm wrong) wearing a Star of David necklace would be a personal choice and the school uniform policy could treat it exactly as wearing a cross.

My guess is that the school policy is not remotely being inconsistent here, or less respectful of Christianity than of other faiths.

Of course it's not compulsory, nor are the symbols worn by people of many faiths. However most schools do not object to a modest wearing of a small token if the wearer wishes. Would they, for example object to a Jewish, Muslim or Sikh head covering. Your suggestion of trying to circumvent the rules is ridiculous.

Except you implied the OP should capitulate because that's what Jesus taught us to do and that is not correct using the verse to which you referred.

As someone has pointed out, the school can have a no-jewellery policy (or any policy, really) but these policies do not supersede precedence and items of faith have already been granted a legal precedence in a similar situation.

This is similar to a car park stating they have no liability for certain things but they cannot contract out of torte law no matter how many signs they put up stating the contrary.

Thoroughly agree…

Need to add, 1 DS used to wear a cross, but it was ripped from his neck whilst in a crowd.
I’d persuade my DD to wear a plastic pin, as having something stolen can be traumatising.

but headscarf is allowed?

@comefromaway total nonsense, it is absolutely not compulsory for any faith to have a head covering. For Muslims in particular it is solely fashion and cultural only in the Middle East, but categorically not religious. If you disagree, please point out the particular extract within a religious book that says followers need to cover their head whilst at school. It doesn't exist.
@FanFckingTastic I would absolutely persist and insist that the necklace be worn on religious grounds unless they are willing to ban ALL headscarves. Your DD absolutely has the right to wear this item as its her faith and the item is neither obtrusive nor offensive in nature. Good luck!

Head coverings aren't compulsory either. There are different interpretations and as you know, some women cover the whole face.

Slid school policy is no jewellery. Why do you think your daughter should be an exception?

Can someone please explain HOW the school will KNOW if she's wearing jewellery UNDERNEATH her clothes? Without physically assaulting her and ripping thr clothes 0£F) It sounds like she's DELIBERATELY showing off the jewellery to cause friction. I should get a white cotton shirt with the school Tie done up to the neck. THEN sue the school if they remove her clothes.

It's a jewellery policy, not a religious symbols policy. Could you get her a Christian key ring to hang from her bag? They all seem to have charms etc on their bags now.

In this case, it is a symbol of faith for OP's daughter.

My father was a strict Catholic and I went to a Catholic school.

He wore nothing to show his faith and there was never any suggestion in school that you should have to. A very few women still wear veils in church but even at a Tridentine (old Latin rite) Mass I attended they weren't in the majority.

I'm highly suspicious of people claiming it's suddenly become "essential" to wear crosses (of course some people might have a preference) with the inevitable comparison to headscarves.

And I suggest that anyone bothered about Christianity being "threatened" should maybe attend an actual Church which I suspect very few do.

I'm really triggered by this lack of religious tolerance, to the point where I'm wondering if it's even made up to generate anger.

@eatreadsleeprepeat
Which religion has a standard whereby followers need to have their head covered? There are no religions where this is the standard at all. Either they allow ALL religious expressions or none at all. Your argument is factually incorrect so please do get YOUR own facts right. In a Christian country it is unthinkable that a cross could be banned...and yes this is still a Christian country. Fact.

I didn’t say Christians should capitulate to authority because Jesus said so. I said schools can lawfully have policies, subject to equality and human rights law.

Those are different arguments. I’m also aware religious expression has legal protection, which is why I was discussing proportionality and accommodation, not claiming school policy overrides the law.

No jewellery is about health and safety and wearing a cross when there is a blanket no jewellery rule does not deny her the right to express her faith in another way.

Oh give over. They aren't banning the cross. They are banning a necklace. A cross elsewhere would be perfectly acceptable.