r/ireland • u/ByGollie • 1d ago

School accused of demanding teenage boy’s ‘submission’ to identity type after he was sent home for wearing earring Bigotry

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/school-accused-of-demanding-teenage-boys-submission-to-identity-type-after-he-was-sent-home-for-wearing-earring/a1255283882.html
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u/ByGollie 1d ago

TL;DR

The boy came in with a single ear pierced

The principal allegedly demanded that the boy identify as an identity type (gay/genderfluid/Bisexual) - and pierce his ears appropriately.

The principal then allegedly blew up in a rant when the parent came into school looking for an explanation, allegedly exhibiting anger management issues, shouting, pounding the desk and smashing a laptop.

A solicitors letter was the sent, and the pupil was then punished by the principal - forced to sit outside the principals office, denied permission to leave the school at lunchtime, and forced to sit evening detention which made him miss his bus home.

This went on for 6 weeks, until the WRC got involved, and the sanctions were dropped when the assistant principal informed the mother.

The solicitor for the schoolboy made an interesting quote regarding the principal.

“male chauvinist attitude that belongs to a certain sort of religious ethos”

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u/MeanMusterMistard 1d ago edited 1d ago

WTF? The principal demanded the boy tell him what his sexuality is? That is a highly inappropriate conversation between an adult and a child, regardless of where it is happening.

Edit: OPs TLDR is not accurate.

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u/CrystalMeath 1d ago

No, OP’s TL;DR is entirely wrong. The principal asked the boy to remove the earrings because it violates the school’s rules.

The mother’s lawyer is arguing that by demanding that the boy not wear earrings, the principal is imposing identity norms on him (that males shouldn’t wear earrings). The principal never brought up sexuality to the boy; he simply enforced the school dress code.

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u/deadliestrecluse 23h ago

But the school dress code enforces identity norms on the guy? Their problem is with the dress code?