ORANGE : Schools Revise Code Against Gang Attire

Trustees of the Orange Unified School District have approved minor revisions to the district’s anti-gang dress code, a controversial policy passed last fall.

The changes were approved without comment last week as part of the school board consent calendar.

Under the policy, schools have the right to prohibit the “use of any gestures or the presence of any apparel, jewelry, accessory, notebook or manner of grooming which . . . disrupts school operations or is associated with a group whose pattern of criminal activity causes an imminent danger” on campus.

Last year, critics of the code had questioned whether it violated students’ constitutional rights. The district approved the policy at that time, but returned it to its staff for minor language changes intended to ensure that it does not violate the First Amendment, said Frank Boehler, the district’s director of child welfare.

One of the modifications approved last week deletes references prohibiting students from “advocating” certain activities or affiliations, Boehler said.

“People have the right to advocate things, so we changed the word to incite ,” he explained. “We still have our gangs, and we still have our gang problems. But (the policy) has given us more teeth, and we’re able to be a little more proactive and nip things in the bud. I think we’ve taken a good policy and made it better.”

Law enforcement authorities say students often wear certain colors, jackets or other clothing that indicate membership in a gang. The purpose of the policy is to keep the campus a neutral territory for rival gangs and to prevent any unlawful gang activity or action that may incite violence, disrupt school operations or violate school policy, district officials said.