Catholic Girls School to Review Dress Code

CLEVELAND — A Catholic girls high school, responding to mounting criticism, announced that it would review the dress code that caused it to bar a returning senior for wearing a Muslim head scarf to school last week.

“The school community will undertake a process that will allow for a review of policy, its implementation and the issues of religious tolerance that have surfaced,” Regina High School Principal Maureen Burke said in a prepared statement. “This process will be done as quickly as possible.”

The Regina handbook reads, “No hats, no bandannas or head wraps are permitted.”

Though some supporters encouraged the small Catholic girls school to stand firm, the Ohio Council on American Islamic Relations asked national Catholic authorities to intervene on behalf of student Amal Jamal, 17.

Amal, who was born in Cleveland, began in June to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, everywhere. She was standing in line buying textbooks Monday when Burke told her she could not attend classes in her scarf.