Ceremonial swords allowed in Plymouth-Canton School District

01/31/2011: PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) - Students of the Sikh faith will be allowed to wear ceremonial swords in the Plymouth-Canton school district.

The blade of the Kirpan must be dull and no longer than two and one-forth inches long and the ceremonial sword must be worn under clothing and not visible in any way.

Students who violate the rules will be disciplined and may be prohibited from wearing the Kirpan to school in the future.

The school district issued the guidelines after an incident in December in which a student brought a Kirpan to an elementary school.

Note to P-CCS Parents regarding Kirpan

Fri, 01/28/2011 - 3:40pm

In December we informed you of a situation at one of our elementary schools in which a student was found wearing a religious emblem that resembles a small decorative sword, called a kirpan. At the time, we told you that our attorneys were reviewing both state and federal laws, as well as Board policies with regard to the prohibition of weapons or look-a-like weapons in any of its buildings. We said we would explore options that will ensure safety and best protect the rights of all students.

After an extensive review of all laws and policies pertaining to this issue, we have developed an accommodation plan that will address the situation. While our school district is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all of our students, we must also balance the rights of students to express and practice their religion. In light of the strict scrutiny standard applied by Michigan courts in determining whether an individual’s right to freely exercise his or her religion has been violated, the District will amend its blanket restriction against wearing the kirpan in school.

Starting Monday, January 31, 2011, baptized students of the Sikh faith will be allowed to wear the kirpan at school with the following conditions:

1. Any kirpan worn at school should be sewn inside a sheath in such a way that the blade cannot be removed from the sheath.
2. The blade of the kirpan is restricted in length to no more than two and one-fourth inches. This would take the object outside the scope of the Revised School Code’s definition of a knife constituting a dangerous weapon.
3. The blade of the kirpan must be dull.
4. The kirpan should not be worn on the outside of the clothing and should not be visible in any way.
5. It will not be the practice of staff members to conduct random searches for the possession of kirpans. However, students who violate any of the above will be subject to discipline including a prohibition on wearing the kirpan to school in the future.

We have spent the past month working successfully with members of the local Sikh community to address District concerns. School officials are confident that these new administrative guidelines ensure a safe school environment and provide Sikh students the right to exercise their religion freely.