Tinkering with Des Moines

A good day of Roads Scholaring has just had a damper put on it by this story about the fascist right being on the march in Des Moines, Iowa.

At 2 middle schools in Des Moines, the Far Right is now requiring uniforms to be worn by students. These are public schools, no less.

Given other districts' torrid records, Des Moines seems like a Johnny-come-lately to this scourge. Maybe Des Moines held out this long because folks remember what happened there in the late '60s.

Yes, the Des Moines school system was the subject of the U.S. Supreme Court's Tinker v. Des Moines ruling - which helped guarantee the right to free expression in the form of attire worn in public schools.

Make no mistake though: School officials have really stepped in it this time. The district (like all other American public schools) is bound by Tinker v. Des Moines. And parents are outraged by the new uniform policy. One said, "It seemed a bit out of the blue with no parental say whatsoever."

And I can't wait to see the school district get sued plumb to court again.

Better yet, just ignore the stupid uniform policy. A public school can't do shit about it.

(Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090709/NEWS02/907090363)