Education: The Compromise

Since that cold Nov. 18 when she first showed up in her seventh-grade classroom wearing a pair of corduroy slacks, Shirley Richardson, 14, of Thompsonville, Conn., has been leading a lonely life. Principal Ernest White told her that slacks were against the rule, and that unless she returned to skirts, she would have to sit in a room by herself. Shirley's parents protested that as a result of an operation four years ago, Shirley's legs needed special protection against the cold. The principal asked to see a doctor's affidavit, but never got one. When the Richardsons' lawyer appealed the case, the...

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