SAMOHI students think hat policy is outdated
Out of the lockers and onto their heads, students are once again allowed to wear hats during school.
Administrators amended the school district’s policy earlier this week to reflect a new state law that allows children seeking to protect themselves from harmful ultra violet rays from the sun to wear “protective gear,” such as hats.
Hats were banned from California schools almost a decade ago because certain colors and teams were used by high school gangs for identification purposes and to send signals to each other. But with more scientific research correlating the sun ray’s with skin cancer, legislators felt more damage was coming from above students rather than from amongst them.
Many of southern California’s schools have open campuses, which means that hallways and courtyards — through which students travel to get to their classrooms — are subject to the sun.
However, the new hat policy is being interpreted differently in each facility throughout the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District. With each school’s administration coming up with its own version of the policy, many students are left wondering what’s the real rule.
At Santa Monica High School, for example, the proposed policy is to allow students to wear hats only if they have the school’s colors of purple and gold or if they have the school’s logo on it.
However, the message hasn’t trickled down to the student body yet.
“Really, I thought we were only allowed to wear hats if it was cold outside or if it was raining. I haven’t heard of any of these other rules,” said Camille Thorsen, a sophomore at Santa Monica High School. “I think as long as it’s not gang related, wearing any hat should be fine.”
“Really, I thought we were only allowed to wear hats if it was cold outside or if it was raining. I haven’t heard of any of these other rules.” — — CAMILLE THORSEN Santa Monica High sophomore
Thorsen said neither she nor her friends were members of a gang, and hardly anyone mentions the gang’s existence. “But I’m sure they exist,” she said. “There are gangs in every high school these days.”
Other students think all this fuss over hats is ridiculous.
“It was really silly that we weren’t allowed to wear hats before — especially if it has nothing to do with gang activities,” said Iris Early, also a Sophomore at Santa Monica High School. “But if it does, then people can go without wearing a hat to school if it will keep people safe.”
School officials agree, and say that students’ choice of apparel should be considered a free speech right, as long as the clothing poses no safety threat.
“I’m all for not having kids wearing gang attire or clothing that advertises drugs and cigarettes,” said school board president Julia Brownley. “But kids should be allowed to make their own fashion statements, which includes hats.”
The district’s board of education directed superintendent John Deasy to study each school’s rule on head apparel and make a report at next month’s meeting. The board may set one district-wide policy regarding what is and isn’t appropriate hats for school.
“Right now anybody with a hat on can say ‘I’m doing it to protect myself from the sun,’ which is a legitimate concern,” said Brownley. “I mean we live in southern California. People wear hats and sunglasses to protect themselves all the time.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 26, 2002. Read the original PDF.