FILE: F-12.2
EMPLOYEE DRESS CODE
DRESS AND PERSONAL GROOMING
Employees on a daily basis shall dress as professionals and practice good personal hygiene in order to set a good example for other employees, students and the general public. Policies regarding dress and grooming are provided to stress the importance of reducing distractions that inhibit learning and are addressed as an attempt to enhance the learning environment.
Employee dress shall not detract from the learning/educational environment of students, including but not limited to students’ participation in classes, school programs or other school-related activities. Extremes in style and fit in employee dress and extremes in style of grooming will not be permitted. Administrators and supervisors shall be authorized to use their discretion in determining extremes in styles of dress and grooming and what is appropriate and suitable for City of Baker School Board employees.
The School Board shall not discriminate against an employee on the basis of a natural, protective or cultural hairstyle. Natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle shall include, but is not limited to, afros, dreadlocks, twists, locs, braids, cornrow braids, Bantu knots, curls, and hair styled to protect hair texture or for cultural significance.
EMPLOYEE DRESS CODE
The School Board delegates to principals/supervisors the authority to require that:
No employee shall wear, possess, use, distribute, display or sell any clothing, jewelry, emblem, blade, symbols, sign or other things which are evidence of affiliation with drugs, alcohol, violence or gang related activities.
Hair must be neat, clean and out of the eyes. Designs, color and/or styles which detract from the learning environment and/or employee’s performance are prohibited.
No body rings, i.e. nose, tongue, etc. are permitted.
No gaudy/flashy jewelry is permitted.
No more than two (2) earrings per ear are permitted for females. Males are not permitted to wear earrings.
Clothing that has any type of drawing that would be vulgar, profane, suggestive, or advertising an affiliation with drugs, alcohol, violence or gang related activities is prohibited.
No see-through or sheer clothing shall be allowed, and no skin shall be visible between pants, trousers, skirts and shirts/blouses in any position.
No midriff shirts/blouses are permitted.
Tank tops are prohibited when worn as a single garment. Tank tops are permissible when worn with a sleeved shirt underneath and/or another shirt layered on top.
Shirts/blouses shall be sized appropriately. Sleeveless shirts/blouses must fit the employee appropriately.
Pants must be of appropriate length, have a hem or cuff. No cut-off, cut-out, and/or ragged “distressed jeans” are permitted.
Fringed trousers, undershirts, or pants that are designed as undergarments are prohibited from being worn as an outer garment.
No employee (male or female) shall be permitted to bring or wear a cap(s), hat(s), skull cap(s) and/or bandanna(s) in school buildings during the school day, except in the case of a safety concern.
The waistband of all clothing, pants/trousers shall be located on the “natural” waistline of the employee and be sized appropriately. No excessively tight clothing, i.e. pants/trousers, shall be permitted.
Clothing worn with suspenders or any facsimiles thereof when worn must be worn with both suspenders on the appropriate shoulder and fastened at all times.
No mini skirts, skorts, sarongs, sundresses, backless, strapless and/or cut-out, see-through dresses shall be permitted. All other dresses shall be at the knee or longer.
Warm-ups, jogging suits, wind-suits and/or sweat-suits are permissible for coaches and physical education employees only, as long as they are sized appropriately, are not sheer and/or see-through, and worn during their physical education instructional periods.
Jeans are not permitted except on “Casual Day” or for a special activity, i.e. field trip. T-shirts are not permitted.
Shorts are not permissible, with the exception that coaches and physical education employees may wear loose fitting, appropriately sized shorts of an appropriate length during their physical education instructional periods. Bus operators may wear appropriately sized shorts no shorter than three (3) inches above the knee. Bike shorts and spandex are prohibited.
No leggings or bike shorts shall be worn as a single garment.
Proper undergarments shall be worn at all times.
All employees shall wear appropriate footwear during the school day. No shower shoes, flip-flops, or slippers are permitted.
CASUAL DAY
A casual dress day may be declared by the chief administrator at the school or office site with the approval of the Superintendent. Jeans may be worn on “Casual Day.”
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE DRESS CODE
In the event an employee fails to comply with the dress code, action shall be taken as follows:
First Offense
If the determination is made by an administrator/supervisor that an employee is in violation of the employee dress code, the administrator shall conference with the employee and shall site the specific area(s) of noncompliance. The employee shall be warned that continued noncompliance will not be tolerated.
Second Offense
If the determination is made by an administrator/supervisor that an employee is in violation of the employee dress code a second time, the employee will be sent home to change into appropriate dress attire and will be placed on leave without pay for the time (not to exceed 2 hours) that he/she is away from the campus. The administrator/supervisor shall prepare a letter of reprimand and shall place the letter in the employee’s personnel file at the school/office site. If there are no further violations, the letter shall be removed after six (6) months.
Third Offense
If the determination is made by an administrator/supervisor that an employee is in violation of the employee dress code a third time, a conference shall be scheduled for the employee, the administrator/supervisor, and the appropriate central office administrator. Administrative action may be taken by the Superintendent as deemed appropriate, to include insubordination and/or disrespect for authority, and could result in dismissal.
Revised: November, 2003
Revised: December 6, 2022
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 23:332
Board minutes, 3-8-00, 8-5-03, 12-6-22
City of Baker School Board