PROVIDENCE, R.I., Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union has challenged a Rhode Island school district's decision to make uniforms mandatory for students.
Lawyer John Dineen represents four Woonsocket parents who object to the policy, the Providence Journal reports. The state legislature gave Woonsocket the authority to make uniforms compulsory last year.
Dineen argues the legislature's action was illegal because it can only adopt policies for a single municipality if voters there have already approved them by referendum. Woonsocket has held no vote on school uniforms.
He also argued the district did not give parents enough notice of the change before school opens Sept. 1. Woonsocket has since said there will be a one-month period when students can come to school without uniforms with no penalty.
The Rhode Island Department of Education plans to hold a hearing on the issue. Both sides met Thursday for a short pre-trial conference.
