****UPDATE: At the second meeting, the policy was sent back to committee by a 4-3 vote.****
The Orange County Board of Education took a step toward banning students from wearing the Confederate flag on school grounds at its Monday night meeting.
After a brief discussion about the language of the dress code policy, the board unanimously approved a new dress code that would prohibit students from wearing “racially intimidating” attire.
This language was added after a campaign to ban the Confederate flag in Orange County Schools was organized by the Hate Free Schools Coalition. Founder Latarndra Strong spoke after the meeting.
“Our schools finally have deemed the Confederate flag racially intimidating and moved to do a policy that can be enforced in all of our schools for all of our students.”
The new language of the dress code does not specifically name the Confederate flag. Instead, it states: “Clothing and accessories are not to substantially disrupt the education process. Students are not to wear clothing, buttons, patches, jewelry or any other items with words, phrases, symbols, pictures or signs that are indecent, profane, or racially intimidating.”
The phrase “that creates reasonable forecast of disruption” was initially in the policy before being removed Monday night.
Members of the Hate Free Schools Coalition said they viewed Monday night’s meeting as a win.
The board will meet later this month to officially approve the new dress code.
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