New Hampshire student is not allowed to wear his military uniform in his senior picture– Muslim headdress is okay

  Jordan Westgate is a senior at Merrimack Valley High in New Hampshire. He submitted his senior photo for the yearbook only to be told by the principal that he could not use the picture because it violated school policy. What was Jordan’s violation? He is joining the army upon graduation, he passed basic training last Summer, and the picture that he submitted was him standing in front of the flag, in uniform wearing his army combat hat.

  According to school policy a student is not permitted to wear a hat or use a prop. He wants an exception to be made, claiming that his picture is more respectful than many of the other pictures students have used.

  The school policy has been in place for four years and they are unwilling to make this exception for this fine young man. However, in 2007 the school did make an exception for one student. A Muslim woman was allowed to wear her scarf over her face. Here is what the principal had to say about the exception:

I think there’s a difference with religion,” Jette said. “If a Jewish student came here and said he had to wear a yarmulke (for the portrait photograph), we’d have to look at that

  In today’s age where there has been a “separation of church and state” read into the constitution that does not exist it would seem to me that the religious symbols should be considered more offensive to the principal than the picture of a man wearing his military uniform. Notice the principal example of the yarmulke? I wonder if a student asked to have his picture taken with a crucifix or a rosary would be accepted. But that is a topic for another day.

  It seems to me that the principal is making a political statement with his refusal to allow Jordan to use his military photo. Jordon comes from a military family with a proud military history and he should be allowed to show his pride with his picture.