Speakers urge district to revise dress code, stop prayers at board openings and change parental notification rules

Three members of the public used the board’s public comment period to ask the Onslow County Board of Education to revise district policies.

Cameron Dutton, speaking about policies at Southwest Middle School, asked the district to replace what he called vague or inconsistently enforced dress-code rules. Dutton urged gender-neutral standards for leggings and opposed a blanket ban on pajama-style clothing, arguing current enforcement disproportionately affects girls, students from lower-income families and students with sensory needs. "If leggings are inappropriate, why are they allowed in sports uniforms? If pajamas are inappropriate, why are they celebrated on school spirit days?" Dutton said, and asked the district to permit leggings that are "opaque, free of rips or sheer sections, and do not expose undergarments."

Ari Rakowitz addressed the board about opening meetings with prayer and read from a letter the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent to the board. Rakowitz referenced U.S. Supreme Court precedent (including Engel v. Vitale and Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe) and multiple federal appellate decisions when arguing the practice of district-led Christian prayers at school board meetings can constitute government favoritism toward religion and could unconstitutionally coerce or influence students and attendees. He said the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District did not change the case law governing school-sponsored prayer of the sort he described.

Patrick Harrington asked the board to revise Policy 1310/4002 on parent involvement to require immediate parental notification when a child is suspected of committing a crime and to require notification prior to any questioning so as to preserve constitutional rights. Harrington said the current policy permits delay of notification when it would interfere with law enforcement or child-welfare investigations and recommended the district add explicit protections for parents of students suspected of wrongdoing.

Board policy on public participation and the board’s enforcement procedures were read aloud by staff at the start of the public comment period; staff reminded speakers of a three-minute limit and noted general statute 143-318.17 regarding disruption of official meetings (as read to the attendees).