Punished for Practicing Religion

Noor Abukaram is a junior who runs for Sylvania Northview High School's cross-country team in Sylvania, Ohio. She is a Muslim and wears a hijab when she is running.

Abukaram learned after running a race last Saturday that she had been disqualified for wearing her hijab, which is a violation of the uniform code.

Before the race, it was reported in Yahoo! that a teammate of Abukaram was told to change her shorts because what she was wearing violated the same code. Abukaram later said she was worried she would be told to remove her hijab, which she wears as required of her religion.

The officials concluded their inspection without saying anything to Abukaram. Unbeknownst to her, officials informed her coach she would be disqualified from the race because of her hijab and her time would not be recorded in the official results.

A student was told to change her shorts before the race. Abukaram was inspected at the same time and nothing was said about her hijab. Officials not doing their due diligence in making sure students are eligible to participate in athletic events is the smaller of the problems with this story. Abukaram has a First Amendment Right to practice her religion. Her hijab is required by her religion. If officials had really wanted to make sure the she was in line with the uniform code, why not mention something to her before the race. Why was the hijab out of code? Did the color not match her uniform? I'm sure there was a sporting goods store nearby where she could have gotten one that would have matched the rest of her uniform.

Abukaram's coach, Jerry Flowers, said there was no time to appeal the decision and said, "the official didn't feel he had the authority to do the right thing and not disqualify her." This does not take the onus off of the coach. Where was the Athletic Director? Where was the principal. I'm certain Flowers had a cell phone on him at the time. Why didn't he call his superiors? Why wasn't more done for a teenager whose violation stemmed from practicing her religion? Does Sylvania Northview's handbook trump the Unites States Constitution? Is there a clause that voids Abukaram's Federally-guaranteed right to practice her faith?

Abukaram was disqualified because of the incompetence of the league. Worse than that, school officials and her coach essentially abandoned her when she needed their support, which she got from her teammates. Unfortunately, teenagers' moral support doesn't hold water compared to the ruling and decisions of adults, no matter now ignorant and absurd those decisions may be.