Body piercing in schools

[Greenday]

"Hey, I want to break the rules and wear piercings! I'll just say I've joined a religion and then it's okay."

[fireheart17]

Can anyone come up with a LEGITIMATE reason the school would even care whether students have piercings or not? That it wound up in the dress code in the first place is, to my mind, a disgraceful example of unnecessary interference.

They can put things in the dress code all they like, but IIRC, if the student can prove that they are a member of a religion then the school can't really do much about it. The only allowances they are for really, are religious jewellery and clothing such as headscarves for Muslims, kippah/yarmulke for Jewish folk and so forth.

"Hey, I want to break the rules and wear piercings! I'll just say I've joined a religion and then it's okay."

IIRC, I do believe that it's actually a cultural thing btw, not a religious thing. Nose piercings are traditional in India for several reasons-honor to one of their goddesses (Parvati), mark of beauty, social standing and it's also associated with the female reproductive organs in traditional Indian medicine.

The article's just blowing smoke. I also do believe that culture is usually covered under most dress code exemptions-if people are going to use the argument that "if they come to <country> they should be forced to abide by the traditions and such of <country> since we do it to them", good luck with that. The Western world has incorporated so much of other cultures into our modern day cultures, I fail to see why we can't still do that. They aren't forcing others to do so, they're the only ones who would do it (in most cases)

As for nose piercings, if the piercing is recent, they can't take the jewellery out. The best option they can do until the jewellery can be taken out is to either get some non-obvious jewellery in the first place (i.e. a stud that might look more like a pimple or a mole so you don't notice it at first glance) or cut out a small piece of band-aid and stick it over that.

[daleduke17]

The Church of Body Modification? What the fuck? Is that even a religion? Tell the little brat no means no. If she doesn't want to abide by the school rules then leave. Just because it is a church does not mean it is a religion. Take the damn piercing out and deal with it. Wait until you're out of school to pierce your body up.

Did the parents sign off on the minor getting pierced?

[Greenday]

Nose piercings are traditional in India for several reasons-honor to one of their goddesses (Parvati), mark of beauty, social standing and it's also associated with the female reproductive organs in traditional Indian medicine.

Well, luckily for me, this has nothing to do with anyone who would fit that description.

The Church of Body Modification? What the fuck? Is that even a religion?

It really does sound to me like someone decided that if they call getting pierced a religion, if an employer or school calls them out on it for being unprofessional, they can cry religious discrimination and get their way.

[Racket_Man]

It really does sound to me like someone decided that if they call getting pierced a religion, if an employer or school calls them out on it for being unprofessional, they can cry religious discrimination and get their way.

if it is recognized by the US Federal government then YES they can even if it is the government itself and that includes all the military branches. if a private company has policies that infringe upon that Federally recognized <whatever> YES they can get their way and sue.

[Greenday]

if it is recognized by the US Federal government then YES they can even if it is the government itself and that includes all the military branches. if a private company has policies that infringe upon that Federally recognized <whatever> YES they can get their way and sue.

That doesn't change the fact that it just sounds like they making up excuses so they didn't have to follow the rules.

[fireheart17]

Gotta love the comments going on there.

Although I do have to disagree on the comments about piercings and tattoos making someone a slut, whore, tramp etc. (funny, all of it seems to be towards women) and how they won't hire people with tattoos (is that all tattoos or just visible ones?). Reasons why:

1) If they have their own ears pierced, I do believe that it's a body part regardless. Therefore they're contradicting themselves.
2) There are too many examples out there of people who have great GPAs or are successful in their careers....and have nose studs, tattoos and so forth.

The only issue I have with tattoos is if the tattoos themselves are offensive. If you can cover them up in general, I see no problem with them at work (my coworkers use a flesh coloured "tube" that goes over their tat to do so)

[Greenday]

Quite simply, it looks unprofessional. Unless you are on of THE best at what you do, loading up with tats or piercings is a great way to not get taken seriously. Looking unprofessional will question how whoever you are meeting treats you and your company. You want people who will make your company look good, not bad. So unless you really are irreplacable, which most people aren't, it's a bad idea.

I have two tattoos. Instead of doing something stupid like put them on my forearms, hands, knuckes, neck, face, or lower legs, I put them on my upper-arms. They are completely concealable in any condition. In the business setting, I can dress in polo shirts and slacks and they won't be visible. If I'm on travel for work and I'm doing something in a casual setting, I can wear a t-shirt and shorts and still not appear too unprofessional.

[blas87]

My tattoos are on my shoulders and lower back.

Two of them are visible if I wear a tanktop, which is not allowed in many work places, so I don't have to worry.

I have to agree that a lot of piercings or tattoos in very visible areas are unprofessional. Especially those bull-like nose piercings (for NON religious reasons) or ones that go over your lip. I can't take someone seriously who looks like that.

[AdminAssistant]

I really want to smack actors who get lots of tattoos/piercings. Seriously, your entire career will be largely based on what you look like, and you go off changing it? If the character doesn't have tattoos, you can't either. If anything, get a very small one, or get it on your hiney and refuse to do nude parts.

That said, I do plan on getting a tat as part of my ABD present. Still not sure what I want to get, but it'll be on my back, hip, leg...someplace easy to cover.

[telecom_goddess]

Well I don't agree with rules that are stupid, and are just there to micromanage people, and serve no real purpose. Piercings don't do anyone any harm. As for me I have a nose ring, and two tattoos, one on my forearm that goes all the way around and one on my lower leg. They are visible most of the time. And it harms no one....I still get my work done and that's all that matters.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I have to agree that a lot of piercings or tattoos in very visible areas are unprofessional. Especially those bull-like nose piercings (for NON religious reasons) or ones that go over your lip. I can't take someone seriously who looks like that.

Or those "tramp stamps" that are popular among a lot of girls right now. While they're on the lower back and therefore shouldn't be visible, they are cuz the girls wear low slung jeans and crop tops. They're called tramp stamps for a reason; the tattoos look incredibly trashy. They're normally chinese lettering, red devils or other common ones. If a girl turned up to a job interview showing off a tramp stamp, it's a sad fact that a lot of employers would just dismiss her as being unprofessional. Especially since there's no real need to show off a back tattoo.

Not saying, by the way, that yours is a tramp stamp Blas! You know the ones I mean; the ones that don't really mean anything, just an urge to follow fashion. One girl locally got a chinese lettering tramp stamp that she thought spelt out "love" but in fact, spelt out "spring roll". XXD

[LadyBarbossa]

I can see both sides. It's like complaining about things expected of you at a job. You asked for the job. You don't like what they expect from you? You know where the door is, and there would probably be 40 people standing in line to replace you. And at least with my parents, while they let me pierce my ears when I was 15, they said if I wanted anything else done, it'd have to wait till I was 18 and had my own money, and that was all. They wouldn't pay or sign for my nephew to get the tattoo he wanted, but two weeks after his birthday this year, he hauled himself down to a very good local artist and got inked, no big deal.

On the other hand, I think many of the rules about hair length, facial hair, tattoos, and piercings are indeed outdated. This isn't 1950 and it's not just thugs, motorcyclists, and drug dealers who are getting body mods anymore, it's just about everybody! As long as a person is clean and their mods aren't offensive, it shouldn't be an issue. I recently saw an interview done on the local news, and while the guy being interviewed about his company/cause was dressed very nicely, he had his eyebrow piercing in, I found it interesting and kind of encouraging that these things are starting to be accepted in a professional environment. I'll agree with blas that gauging the ears and bull rings in the nose are downright fugly to look at, it doesn't really change the person. Or if your tat is of a naked woman with her nipples pointing skyward or you had a penis tattooed to your finger (yes, I've seen this), then you should cover it up, because that's just tacky.

[MadMike]

What exactly do "unprofessional" and "disruptive" mean when it comes to clothing or hairstyles? It seems to be that they're just bullshit excuses for "It has no bearing on how you do your job, but we don't like it so we're going to disallow it just because!"

If it can be covered up or taken off for a few hours, it's not such a big deal. I still don't agree with it, unless it's truly offensive (i.e. I don't think anyone should be allowed to go to work or school with a T-shit that says "Fuck you"), but at least you can take it off for work on put it on when you get back home.

Long hair on guys. I'm a guy with long hair, and I don't see what the big deal is. I do my job the same way as I did before I grew my hair out. I guess a person can have long hair, or they can have a dick, but not both. Cut one of them off, dammit!

[Greenday]

MadMike, it all depends on what your job is. If you are just doing stock work, construction, or some job that doesn't involve customers. it doesn't matter one bit.

When you work a job where you have to build clientele, pitch projects, teach, give presentations, it matters a whole lot how you look. Who am I going to take more seriously: a guy loaded with tats and piercings or someone well groomed and treats their body as more than just a canvas.