France's strict policy banning religious clothing at public schools was questioned after a French high school sent a 15-year-old Muslim girl home—twice—for wearing a long black skirt.
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- The girl, named Sarah K., said of her skirt to a local newspaper, "[It was] nothing special, it's very simple, there's nothing conspicuous. There's no religious sign at all." She also said she always removes her head scarf before entering Léo Lagrange high school.
However, the school's educational director, Patrick Dutot, judged Sarah's outfit as an "ostentatious sign" of her Muslim faith. "It is a sign of identity," Dutot said in a New York Timesarticle. "The question isn’t how long the skirt is... They come with an outfit that shows an affiliation that we respect. But once at school, you have to return to a republican and secular space—but they only remove the veil."
Sarah's situation went viral and has produced angry reactions on social media. Since Tuesday, the hashtag #JePorteMaJupeCommeJeVeux, or "I wear my skirt how I want to" has had more than 45,000 tweets, according to BBC News.
Wear a short skirt and you're "asking for it", wear a long skirt and you're a threat to secularism. Go figure. #JePorteMaJupeCommeJeVeux
— Tonicha Upham (@ColdBrightDay) April 28, 2015
France adopted a law banning visible religious clothing in public schools in 2004. This includes skullcaps, noticeable crosses and head scarves. Ever since the law was adopted, some school officials have stretched the law to also ban other less obvious religious clothing, such as long skirts and headbands. In a New York Timesarticle, Elsa Ray, a spokeswoman for the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, said, "It’s a huge problem."
France has a population of about 5 million Muslims. According to Ray, incidents like the one involving Sarah are becoming more frequent. Since January 2014, there have been 130 similar cases in France. These cases have sent students home for various clothing choices, including long skirts, broad headbands, and even some sweaters.
In regards to the clothing ban, Ray assured that the Collective Against Islamophobia would be doing their best to find a solution. "[We want] to put a stop to what is happening and to make sure to provide concrete directives to the schools."