Springfield Township drafts Crown Act language into student and staff grooming policies
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Summary
Following the Pennsylvania Crown Act amendment, the committee reviewed student and staff dress-and-grooming policies to add affirmative language protecting hairstyles and head coverings associated with race or religion while preserving narrowly tailored safety exceptions for food service, bus operation and athletics.
Committee members reviewed draft changes to student (02/21) and staff (03/25) dress-and-grooming policies to align with the Pennsylvania Crown Act amendment and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act as amended.
The superintendent said the Crown Act amendment "clarifies that race includes hair texture and protective hairstyles, and religious creed includes associated head coverings." The draft inserts an affirmative statement that "students may wear hairstyles and head coverings associated with race or religion" and that no student should be disciplined for natural hair texture or protective styles in accordance with state law.
Administrators noted narrow safety exceptions: for example, food-service employees must comply with health-and-safety hair covering rules, and bus drivers may be asked to adjust a head covering if it impeded safe operation. Athletic-safety adjustments—such as securing long dreadlocks during wrestling—would be handled to permit participation while mitigating risk.
Committee members generally supported moving the student and staff policies forward for board consideration, with a suggestion that one reading would increase visibility given the state change.
What happens next: the draft student and staff grooming policies will be advanced to the full board for consideration; administrators will finalize an affirmative statement in the policy and test it against existing safety- and employment-related language.