ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the rights of individuals to follow the requirements of their faiths by wearing religious garb or symbols while working in or attending public schools. It covers the legal questions involved in either placing restrictions on or allowing accommodations for members of each group. A frequently requested accommodation involves the dress or grooming practices the individuals may adopt for religious reasons. The question of whether teachers and other employees can wear religious garb while working in public schools centers on the dual First Amendment concepts of calling for the separation of church and state and employees' rights to practice their religions. A judgment by a federal trial court in Pennsylvania demonstrates that the size and conspicuousness of religious symbols worn by school employees may influence judicial analysis about the constitutionality of state or local edicts banning the wearing of religious garb or insignia in classrooms. Most states have enacted laws prohibiting students from bringing weapons to school.
