Nevada

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION - DRESS CODE

In 2008 the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the dress code adopted by Clark County School District did not violate student rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The suit was brought after students at Liberty High School faced punishment for violating the new dress code that required them to wear khaki bottoms and a solid-colored shirt without any logos or printed messages beside the school logo. The court decided that the school district could adopt the policy in the interest of increasing achievement, promoting safety and enhancing a positive school environment and that students could “express themselves through other and traditional methods of communication throughout the school day.”

(The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has jurisdiction over Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington as well as Nevada).

HARASSMENT
In 2009, the Washoe County School District agreed to pay $350,000 to a former North Valleys High School student to settle a harassment suit. The school district also agreed to establish new anti-discrimination policies. The student claimed that she had been called names and told "you are not one of us" and "leave or we will kill you" for wearing a hijab, a traditional hair covering worn by many Muslim women. When she appealed to school officials for help, she was allegedly ignored or told that she should not wear the scarf.

HARASSMENT
Washoe County School District has reached a $451,000 settlement with a gay student who was beaten, spit on, and had his life threatened at three different high schools in Reno .  The school district also agreed to implement policies protecting gay and lesbian students.