Unfortunately named young woman Lydia Playfoot is to have her case against her school's ban of her wearing her "silver ring thing" heard in the High Court today. Ms. Playfoot wears the ring as a profession of her intent to retain her virginity until her marriage. The school's dress code bans all jewellery and other adornments other than those specifically required by the wearer's religion. Ms. Playfoot claims that her ring is a sign of her religious devotion and preventing her from wearing it is a violation of her religious rights. I am not a big fan of the way school dress codes are enforced in this country but recognise that they are within British and European law. I do not see how the court can allow this exemption without opening the floodgates to other non-religious political and/or ethical expressions; peace symbols, political slogans et al.
As in many of these cases there may be more here than meets the eye. Ms. Playfoot is only sixteen and one wonders how strong or settled her beliefs actually are. It is enlightening to discover that her father, Phil Playfoot, is the pastor at Kings Church, Horsham where the "silver ring thing" is based in Britain and her mother is "company secretary of its business arm".
It couldn't be possible that there might be some overweening parental pressure at work here could it?
As in many of these cases there may be more here than meets the eye. Ms. Playfoot is only sixteen and one wonders how strong or settled her beliefs actually are. It is enlightening to discover that her father, Phil Playfoot, is the pastor at Kings Church, Horsham where the "silver ring thing" is based in Britain and her mother is "company secretary of its business arm".
It couldn't be possible that there might be some overweening parental pressure at work here could it?
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