Okla. Schools Settle Dress Codes Lawsuit

Saturday, June 12th 2004, 6:54 pm

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) _ An Oklahoma school district has revised its dress code to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a sixth-grader who wanted to wear her Muslim head scarf to class.

Nashala Hearn, now 12, was suspended twice last year by the Muskogee Public School District for wearing the hijab. School officials said her clothing violated a dress code banning hats, bandanas and other head coverings _ a rule intended to curb gang-related activity.

In March, the Justice Department joined a lawsuit filed on her behalf by a Virginia-based civil rights group. A federal judge approved the settlement last month.

``This experience has been very stressful, very depressing and very humiliating,'' Hearn said.

Starting this fall, students can wear religious head coverings to school if they apply and have their requests approved by the school board, officials said.

Under the settlement, the district also must pay an undisclosed amount of money, said Leah Farish, Hearn's lawyer. The lawsuit had sought $80,000 in damages.