Student Claims He Was Suspended For Wearing Makeup

AP ^ | 4/14/05

[Asphalt]

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A ninth-grade student has accused officials at a Southern California high school of discrimination for suspending him for wearing lipstick and eye makeup.

James Herndon, 16, said the five-day suspension imposed Monday by administrators at San Bernardino's Pacific High School was unfair because females are allowed to wear cosmetics on campus.

"If I can't wear makeup," he said, "then the girls or the staff can't wear makeup."

Herndon says his black lipstick and red eye makeup express the Wiccan religious beliefs he shares with his mother, a priestess in the neo-pagan faith. The suspension violates his constitutional right to free expression, he contends.

Linda Hill, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, declined to comment on the case, citing student confidentiality laws.

She said, however, that students shouldn't wear excessive makeup or clothing that could conceal their identity or be distracting to other students, a prohibition applied to male and female students alike.

Herndon, who is repeating his second year at the school, has worn makeup since he enrolled, according to his mother, Valerie Wallace.

Despite the suspension, Herndon plans to wear the makeup when he returns to school next week.

"My son shouldn't change the way he is," Wallace said.

[Asphalt]

"Despite the suspension, Herndon plans to wear the makeup when he returns to school next week."

Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Tax-chick]

Well put. His repeating the grade is another clue.

[dead]

Herndon says his black lipstick and red eye makeup express the Wiccan religious beliefs he shares with his mother, a priestess in the neo-pagan faith.

I’d like to start some sort of financial market where you can buy and sell futures on other people’s coming heroin addiction.

[Sax]

Great logic dude. /sarcasm. If it works, maybe I'll send my boy to school with a make-up:

[Izzy Dunne]

Five years of junior high school down the drain.

[DoctorMichael]

.....and then we'll get these little clowns walking in looking like David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust period.

[Thrusher]

Hmm, I see the ACLU arriving in town within the next thirty minutes and a massive lawsuit already being drafted...

[Lunatic Fringe]

Herndon, who is repeating his second year at the school

Sounds like he should be more concerned with passing algebra...

[ruiner]

That's right, I keep forgetting that there are absolutely no differences between women, men, children, and adults.

"If I can't wear makeup," he said, "then the girls or the staff can't wear makeup."

[edpc]

"My son shouldn't change the way he is," Wallace said.

Well.....there's the root of the problem.

There was a similar story about a Wiccan a few years back in MD. A girl was suspended for casting a spell on another student (that's assault, I suppose). The girl's mother went on TV to defend her daughter's rights to practice her beliefs. At the end of the story, it turns out the "mother" was actually her biological father and a trans-sexual. Is it any wonder these kids are strange?

[dighton]

“Wearing lipstick and eye makeup” falls a little short of doing it justice.

[Trampled by Lambs]

I saw this kid on TV news this morning.. Bright red mohawk, black lipstick and some sort of evil clown make up. He looked like the illegitimate offspring of Chris Farley, Marlyn Manson and Twisted Sister.

[antiRepublicrat]

I know a lot of Wiccans and other pagans, and none of them wear makeup as part of their religion. A few do it because that's their personal style (more of a goth thing), but it's not religious-based.

But this is what you get when you demand privilege for the Christian religion. Other religions will want to get on board and get that privilege too.

[Asphalt]

ping. at least they're doing the right thing.

[clarissaexplainsitall]

I thing that his makeup could be construed as a distraction for the other students. Imagine if this guy is your lab partner? Is it against Wicca to dissect a frog? How about an earthworm?

[Nathan Zachary]

Since when is pagan cultism considered a "religion"?
His "mother" has obviously warped this kids mind, proof again that some people should not be parents. Who knows what other child abuse this kid has suffered. Freaks should be prevented from attending school dressed up for halloween 365 days a year. It's bad enough we see the odd one on 'fear factor' but it's for the entertainment value.
Next thing you know, the UCLU will be standing behind the Freaks right to sacrifice a human child. It's clear the UCLU is not anti-cult(religion) just anti-Christian.

[massgopguy]

16 years old and in the ninth grade? He should quit school now while he still knows everything.

[clarissaexplainsitall]

Why do some people need so much attention? Get a life.

[Born Conservative]

[wideawake]

Dead your incipient heroin/meth addiction futures market would soon be devoid of arbitrage opportunities when pictures like the one in post 11 are made public.