The student, who attends Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, was reported by a teacher for “uniform infraction,” according to the written form. The form the teacher filled out incorrectly spelled the religious garment as “jihab” rather than hijab. Alexander Dunn, the school’s principal and principal, says the school has a policy for families to submit documentation of any religious and medical accommodations. The hijab is a religious head covering worn by Muslim women. “The hijab is one of the most common [accommodations]although other recent accommodations include growing facial hair, using a special prayer room, wearing patka and applying henna,” Dan said in a written statement. it is possible in cooperation with the parents to help them request the appropriate religious or medical documentation.’ According to Dan, the student’s family did not apply for housing. Dunn said they asked for a meeting with the parents. The incident has drawn a lot of backlash from community members and on social media. Malden Mayor Gary Christensen said he was “saddened” by the recent incident. “I understand that MVRCS has been steadfast in its commitment to its uniform policy, however, as a prominent member of the Muslim community has stated, the wearing of the hijab is a protected right, it is not part of a uniform and should not be seen as such. Christensen said in a written statement. “I have been in contact with our state delegation and together we have reached out to the student’s family to offer our support and assistance.” Christensen also spoke with Dunn and called for a review of the school’s policy, “which better reflects the open-minded approach we should all be committed to,” he said. In 2017, school board members voted to repeal a policy that initially barred 15-year-old twins from attending prom and participating in after-school activities for wearing braided hair extensions, which is against the school’s dress code. The state attorney general found three parts of the school’s hair policy “unlawful.” The policy led to the introduction of state legislation known as the Crown Act, which would have banned hairstyle discrimination. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed it into law in 2022.
