The principal of the Léo Lagrange secondary school in Charleville-Mézières, in northern France, has ruled that a black, full-length skirt worn by a Muslim student was “an ostentatious sign” of religiosity, and sent her home, ordering her parents to make sure she changed into a “more appropriate,” short skirt.
A 2004 French law forbids elementary and secondary school students from wearing signs of their religious affiliation to school, including yarmulkes for Jews, crosses for Christians and head scarves for Muslims. But French media report that school officials have been zealous recently in applying the ban to long skirts and kerchiefs.
The case has infuriated French Muslims, who accuse the school system of targeting their girl for discrimination.
The Collective Against Islamophobia in France has documented 130 similar cases since January 2014, and the organization’s spokeswoman has told the NY Times these cases were becoming more frequent, often involving skirt length, sweaters and headbands—the latter being worn by girls who are afraid to wear a full scarf.
A popular Twitter hashtag #jeportemajupecommejeveux (I wear my skirt as I like) appeared on Wednesday, after the dispute was made public in the Charleville-Mezieres newspaper.
One tweet said: “Stop controlling what women wear. So much for ‘Liberté,’ hey, France?”
Another asked: “Are nuns gonna be banned now as well? Or is it only Muslims you hate?”
The girl was identified only as Sarah K. Her mother told the magazine L’Obs on Wednesday she and her husband never asked Sarah to cover her hair, and that her older sisters do not wear scarves. “About a year ago, she started to wear a headscarf, as do I,” Mrs. K told the magazine. “But every morning when she gets to school, she takes it off because she knows it’s prohibited.”
Patrick Dutot, a local education ministry executive, said “the question isn’t how long the skirt is. They come with an outfit that shows an affiliation that we respect. But once at school, you have to return to a republican and secular space — but they only remove the headscarves.”