The recent rumors that Pioneer was considering revising its dress code to allow hats on campus have been confirmed by Pioneer Assistant Principal Kevin Hudson. Hats have been a subject of controversy for years at Pioneer. Students wish to wear them to school, even though the school does not allow it. Why are hats currently banned at Pioneer and at other schools across the nation? Is there a justifiable reason for hats to be allowed in school?

Many schools have varying opinions on the idea of wearing hats in the learning environment, but hats have always been banned at Pioneer. According to Assistant Principal Hudson, the reason Pioneer does not allow hats is because they do not fit the environment that the administration wishes to create in the school. “The reason we have the hat rule at Pioneer is because we envision a semi-professional environment, and in a semi-professional environment, hats are not something that’s worn,” says Hudson. “I can’t wear a hat here, it just wouldn’t look appropriate.” While hats are not to be worn within the school building, they are considered acceptable at school dances and sporting events.

Different schools all have their own reasons for banning hats. Traditionally, they have not been worn indoors as a sign of respect. Some schools use the common argument that hats are a distraction to students. Some hats may contain profane or provocative content which can cause conflicts. For example, according to The Washington Post, on Aug. 29, 2018, at Union Mine High School in El Dorado, California, a student was arrested during a conflict stemming from another student’s “Make America Great Again” hat. She reportedly verbally assaulted the hat-wearing student and slapped her teacher when he attempted to keep the two students apart. Since it is hard to judge what is and what is not offensive, schools ban hats altogether. In some areas, hats–particularly baseball caps–are banned because of their gang affiliation. According to Complex, the hat most commonly worn by gangs is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ baseball cap, which is worn by four major gangs as a form of identification. Finally, hats are banned because they can be a security hazard. Because of their wide brims, hats can obscure someone’s identity from the school security cameras, which makes it more difficult to catch students who commit harmful acts on school grounds. “It makes sense because they need to see who you are,” says Pioneer sophomore Gabe Hennebury.

High school students have various counters for why hats should be allowed in school. They claim that hats are not a distraction in classrooms, contrary to the beliefs of many teachers. “As long as they do not have anything profane on them, they are not distractful to the learning environment,” says Pioneer senior Asa Williams. Students also argue that hats are a form of expression.

Although students and school administrations have differing views on hats, there is a fair possibility that Pioneer will change its hat policy in the future. “We’re asking you to not wear hats and not wear headphones right now, and if you can follow those directions, there’s a strong chance that we will ease up on that policy,” says Assistant Principal Hudson , “But if you don’t follow the directions, the policy is going to remain the same because you’re not showing us you’re mature enough to handle that type of responsibility.” Hudson has stated that he thinks it would be reasonable to let students wear hats during lunchtime or on off-campus days.

As of right now, Pioneer is part of the majority of schools that do not allow hats. However, society is becoming more informal. As society changes, expect Pioneer’s dress code rules to change as well.