Religious Head Garb Rule Change Sought By Montgomery County Schools

GAITHERSBURG, MD — The Montgomery County Board of Education voted unanimously Friday to send a letter to the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations to change a rule that barred a Muslim student at Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg from participating in her basketball game because of her Muslim head covering, according to Montgomery Community Media.

"This letter shows that we are in support of diversity, and respect all religions and backgrounds," school board member Patricia O'Neill, who spearheaded the effort, said. "We want to make sure that all students... who have certain attire based on their faiths are not prevented from engaging in extracurricular activities.

The 16-year-old junior Ja'Nan Hayes was barred from the final varsity game against Oxon Hill High because of her head covering, although she had played wearing a hijab all season.

Officials at the game cited a rarely-enforced rule that requires "documented evidence" of a request for religious attire. The rule is enforced at the state level, and comes from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

O'Neill led the effort to write the letter, which calls for a revision of the rule so there is an exception for attire that is directly related to a person's religion, according to Montgomery Community Media.

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“I was troubled that this young girl would be prevented from participating in basketball and at the same time practicing her religion,” O’Neill said.

A MPSSAA spokesperson Bill Reinhard said the organization disagrees with the referee's actions.

“High school athletics in Maryland has a strong and stable tradition of providing safe, meaningful and equitable participation for students,” Reinhard said. “Unfortunately, the officials made a strict interpretation of the National Federation of State High Schools playing rules for basketball instead of the spirit of the rule designed to ensure safety and competitive fairness."

"There should have been no denial of participation, and we are committed to working with the school and the family to ensure this does not happen again," Reinhard said.

According to WTOP, the student Ja'Nan Hayes joined her other teammates at the regional finals in Prince George's County. Hayes' coach usually puts her in during the fourth quarter, but Hayes sat on the bench for the entire game.

“My coach had pulled me aside, and she had said that she was sorry that I couldn’t play. But there was a state rule saying that I have to have a letter to play with my hijab on,” said Hayes.

The varsity basketball coach coach, Donita Adams, told WTOP that three minutes before the game started, a referee told her that Hayes would not be able to participate unless she had a religious exemption letter from the state to wear religious headgear during the game.

“I didn’t agree with what was going on. She played all 24 games and then on the 25th game she wasn’t able to play,” said Adams. “We’re just trying to figure out why there needs to be documentation and for what cause, because everyone deserves to play.”

Adams also said that on Ash Wednesday, multiple girls on the basketball team took the court with an ashen cross on their foreheads. They were not prevented from playing.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is working with MPSSAA and Hayes' family to figure out the situation.

"There is obviously a need to update the existing policy so that athletes of all backgrounds may practice their faith without such unfortunate incidents occurring," said CAIR Maryland Outreach Manager Dr. Zainab Chaudry. "Athletic officials should also undergo diversity training to ensure that they are aware of the religious needs of a diverse student population."

Photo: CAIR