Sacred Heart Proposal: Why Boys should be allowed to have cleanly shaven facial hair

Objective: Facial hair in a cleanly shaven organized manner is considered professional. Examples are but not restricted to: mustaches, chin straps, goatees, and soul patches. As student council, we come to a consensus that boys through grades 7-12 should be allowed to have clean and neat facial hair.

What determines “clean and neat”: Clean and neat should be decided under the guidelines that the areas of your face without facial hair are without stubble and closely trimmed around the edges for a clean outline, unless designs are considered inappropriate by faculty or administration.

Handbook: The Handbook states that the objectives of Sacred Heart High school is “to ensure that each student academic preparation for success in higher education and lifelong learning”, which infers college and someday job opportunities. Research shows that jobs allow facial hair as long as it is neat (evidence below from various sources). Clean and neat facial hair then complies with the objective of the Sacred Heart handbook. Under the Dress Code headline, the handbook states that “the Sacred Heart policy is designed to reflect the needs of students, parents, faculty and administration to promote the academic atmosphere of the school and to assist al students in developing self confidence, self respect and self discipline in accord with the school philosophy and purpose.”Clean and neat facial hair does not obstruct any of the given reasons under the school’s philosophy and purpose and allows boys through grades 7-12 to develop self discipline and self respect in their appearance.

Faculty:  The faculty handbook is unavailable for review and citing, but it is apparent that faculty at Sacred Heart High School are permitted to keep clean and neat facial hair. We, as students, respect faculty and deem them as respectable and proper. Sacred Heart administration deems them professional as a member of the staff, although they may have facial hair. Boys through grades 7-12 should not be considered unprofessional out of dress code with clean facial hair if male faculty is considered professional with it. Although faculty is held by a different handbook, facial hair on a faculty member should not be considered different than if it was on a student.

Other private, catholic, or independent schools: Shown below are two excerpts from the handbooks of Arch Bishop Williams High School and BC High School. Under the headline of DRESSCODE, both handbooks allow clean and neat facial hair as long as it is not deemed inappropriate or distracting, or do not forbade it under the guidelines at all. Please view below for citing.

ANY QUESTIONS: Please contact Nicoletta Pappas, Sacred Heart Executive President

[email protected]