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Personal Appearance Policy

The following are practical and fair guidelines for dress, which also recognize the importance of individual choice and reasonable differences in students’ fashions. The following guidelines are to be encouraged while students are on school property during school hours:

  • Clothing that contains words or graphics referring to alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and tobacco should not be worn.
  • Clothing with obscene or sexual references in words or graphics should not be worn.
  • Students must wear sufficient clothing so that no bare skin or underwear is visible in the front or back of the torso from the upper chest to below the buttocks.
  • Footwear is required.
If a member of the staff feels that a student is not complying with the policy, he or she may ask the student to change clothes. The staff member may also refer the student to the Dean of Students. The student may be required to change clothes or to have clothes brought from home. Repeated offenses may be considered “Refusal to Follow the Reasonable Instructions of an Adult”

The above suggested guidelines for attire worn at Hanover High School during school hours reflects the atmosphere of respect that is promoted by Hanover High students and staff.

Clothing and Appearance

Hanover High School does not require dress codes or uniforms, or apply grooming or appearance standards, that impose different requirements for individuals based on sex or gender. Because the dress code is gender-neutral, all genders must follow the dress code regardless of their gender or sex, and is equally enforced for all students. In the case of athletic uniforms, all uniforms on a team must be the same. If a student takes issue with their athletic uniform, they should take it up with the Athletic Department.

At music performances, the attire guidelines cannot be enforced or suggested based upon gender. Example: In the past, chorus concert attire has been black clothes for females and males, with males wearing a tie. However, under this rule, students — regardless of gender — may or may not choose to wear a tie. The school does not have the power to enforce this standard for the attire for music festivals that are not associated with the school. If a student takes issue with the attire proposed by the festival, they should bring it up with the festival director(s) or ask their teacher to communicate with the festival.

At graduation, the gowns for the graduating class should all be the same color, or students should be allowed to choose the color of their gown from the given options. The color of the gowns should not be selected based on the gender or sex of the students.

Hanover High School prohibits discriminatory harassment or violence motivated by a person’s actual or perceived gender identity or expression that attempts to interfere with, or actually interferes with, the free exercise of an individual’s right. Discriminatory harassment includes violence, the threat of violence, a pattern of threatening verbal harassment, the use of force, intimidation or coercion, defacing or damaging real property and cyberbullying.

Enforcement

If a Hanover High School student refuses to comply with any of these rules, the Dean of Students will enforce consequences according to the Hanover High School Code of Conduct.

If a non-student member of the Hanover High School community does not comply with these rules the incident should be reported to one or more of the following people, if applicable:

Department Head
Dean of Students
Principal