A new policy banning hoodies and hats has roiled a Pennsylvania high school, fueling an out-of-control protest by furious students this week that led to fights and the arrests of 10 students.
Just one day after the protests at Academy Park High School, the Southeast DelCo School Board of Directors held a contentious, four-hour emergency meeting—attended by hundreds of students and parents—that ultimately ended in members voting to backpedal on the ban against hoodies and hats altogether.
“Starting Friday November 4th, students will be permitted to wear hooded sweatshirts during the school day,” a statement announcing the decision read. “However, the original rule that hoods may not be worn on heads while in district schools still stands. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in disciplinary action for each infraction.”
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The statement added that the only exceptions to this rule would be religious or medical headwear.
“Hooded sweatshirts may be worn with the hood down and hats are not to be worn on a student’s head while in the building,” the statement added. “Consequences will be administered to all students who are found in non-compliance.”
A revised policy on headgear was initially introduced during a Southeast DelCo school board meeting in early October by board member Sheree Monroe, but was not formally discussed until Oct. 27. Monroe recommended a policy banning hats and hoodies that should take effect immediately and “until further notice.” She also suggested that violators should be punished with three days of suspension.
“Once the situation calms down, then we can end the mandate,” Monroe told the board on Oct. 27, admitting that her son was also “a violator.”
Board members discussed students disrespecting staff members, while one dissenter of the motion mentioned that the rule could hurt students who don’t have enough money to switch up their wardrobes during the school year.
The Southeast DelCo school board ultimately decided in an 8-1 vote to ban hoodies and hats from district classrooms, with the policy going into place on Monday, Oct. 31.
By Tuesday morning, students at Academy Park High School were fed up. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, students walked out of class to protest the rule, and while the demonstrations began peacefully, physical altercations inside and outside the school ensued. The cops were called, and at least 10 students were arrested by the end of the day, local Philadelphia news outlet WPVI-TV reported.
The chaos prompted an emergency board meeting Wednesday, with hundreds of parents and students showing up to explain why the new policy was too rash.
One dad went off about administrators not contacting him after reprimanding his son, who he said has a medical condition, for not taking off a hoodie while in school.
“Since when or who are y’all to turn around and change rules?” he asked, pointing toward the school board as meeting attendees clapped in approval. “Y’all don’t go out and buy my son’s clothes. Y’all don’t buy his clothes, shoes, anything whatsoever. So, how are y’all going to turn around and tell him—in the middle of the school year—he can’t wear a hoodie?”
“Did you send out a memo? No. Did you send out an email? No. Did you send out a phone call? No. But you want to turn around and [condemn] these kids for wearing a hoodie,” the father continued. “What you shoulda did from the get-go is have a dress code.”
One student told the board that they were too busy being concerned about hoodies instead of the safety of students and teachers.
“We’re focused on hoodies, while we should be focused on safety,” she said. “Hoodies do not endanger our safety. Students and staff and random people from DoorDash are coming in through side doors, and we’re banning hoodies because we ‘can’t be identified.’”
Another father told the board it had lost the community’s trust.
“The message you sent out did not clearly say why there’s going to be a hoodie ban,” he explained. He added that the board should own up to its decision as the students had to take responsibility for engaging in fights the day before.
An Academy Park teacher also claimed that the school board had other issues to focus on, like a shortage of educators at the high school that has forced substitute teachers to instruct over 400 students since September.
After many speakers came forward, board President Theresa Harris-Johnson suggested a vote to rescind the hat and hoodie ban.
“We need to come together, as a board, and discuss this situation,” she said.
Before the meeting adjourned, Monroe apologized to her students and suggested parents get their “paperwork in order” if their children have medical needs that require them to wear headwear.
Neither the Southeast DelCo School Board nor the Academy Park High School administration immediately responded to The Daily Beast’s requests for comment Friday.
