Southeast/Long Beach : LACK OF UNIFORMITY

A group of 26 low-income families filed a civil rights lawsuit Tuesday against the Long Beach Unified School District, charging that its mandatory school uniform policy discriminates against poor students.

The parents complain that having to buy uniforms for their children--usually dressed in hand-me-downs--presents a financial hardship. They are seeking a court order to force the school district to provide three free uniforms per term to children of indigent families.

They also demand that the school district send families clearly worded notice of access to free uniforms and of their legal right to request exemption from the policy, implemented last fall in the district’s 56 elementary and 14 middle schools.

“I was told my children couldn’t attend school without uniforms,” said Priscilla Ortega, who has three school-age boys. “I was never told we could opt out.”

School district officials say the price of a boy’s uniform polo shirt is $6.99 to $9.99 and that pants cost $9.99 to $13.99. District spokesman Richard Van Der Laan says correspondence has been sent to parents at least four times over the past year explaining the exemption option and how to obtain free uniforms donated by charities and other students’ families.

Van Der Laan said the district plans to stick with its policy and it will appeal any orders to change it.