Three Boys Wearing Earrings Suspended by Alabama School

The rural Alabama high school’s administrators gave the boys a choice: either the earrings or they must go.

Three boys went.

The earring-bedecked youths were suspended from West Limestone High School after the taunts and questions of other students disrupted classes, the school principal said Wednesday.

Principal Aubrey Privett said two boys were disciplined for violating a dress code and the third was punished for disrespect. Their names were not released.

“I feel that young men should dress like young men and young ladies should dress like young ladies,” Privett said. “They can come back Monday if they don’t have earrings.”

He said seven students wore earrings to the north Alabama high school. After being told that the ear adornment was unacceptable, two boys refused to remove the jewelry Tuesday and the third argued with Privett when confronted.

Privett said the school’s code stipulates that students will not dress in a manner that “disrupts the educational process.”

He said girls are allowed to wear earrings at school, but the boys disrupted classes because their jewelry drew disruptive reactions from other students.

One of the youths said he is not sure why he wore the earring but feels he has the right to do so.