SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A new Illinois bill could ban private schools from penalizing students with religious hairstyles. The plan is an expansion of the current state law that bans public and private schools from prohibiting hairstyles associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture.
Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) said rabbis asked him to file the plan to protect Orthodox Jewish students who have beards.
"I live in the West Ridge community where there's a pretty big Orthodox Jewish community and dozens of people have brought up to me in the last few years since we passed the Jett Hawkins Act," Simmons said. "It seems like it's a good time to move forward with this legislation, particularly when we know that there's been such a big increase in antisemitism across the country and the world."
Sectarian schools would be exempt if they are not subject to requirements that restrict the school's ability to adopt, enforce, or apply policies regarding religious hairstyles.
Senate Bill 3361 passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday. It now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration.
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