Conflict between school administrations and students over dress code policies is nothing new. Each side will always have their view on what is appropriate, but questions do come up about which rules may be too unfair or unclear.

Recently, an Oklahoma student became upset when she found out she could not wear her medical mask to school. Mikayla Smith, a freshman high school student, had tonsil surgery earlier this month. Wanting to take health precautions, her mother ordered her a black mask online.

When she wore it to school, officials told her that it violated the dress code policy. Smith’s mother stated that since her daughter had scabs in her throat from the surgery, they wanted to protect her from germ exposure. They did admit that doctors did not prescribe the use of a mask.

After reviewing the school’s handbook, the Smiths could not find any written policy regarding medical masks. Besides being unhappy with the mask policy, Mikayla was also frustrated about missing her classes; she was removed for the dress code infraction.

However, the school insists that the mask she had was not an actual medical mask, and they offered her one:

“A medical mask has three layers including a paper filter. The district health coordinator provided a box of surgical grade medical masks to help protect the student from sickness. A ‘rave’ mask is just cloth, similar to pulling a t-shirt over your mouth. It won’t protect from germs. When a judgement is to be made regarding distractive items or dress code, a site principal will make the decision. Mid-Del Schools provided a medical mask for a student to wear while at school.”

The Smiths were not on board with the replacement mask the school offered either. Mikayla’s mom contacted the local news outlet to share their story, feeling the mask should be allowed for medical purposes.

Since the original one the young lady wore was banned, Smith’s mom ordered a different one that she hopes will be acceptable to their guidelines.

In recent years, some parents have begun to wonder if it would be wise to send their children to school with a surgical/medical mask to protect themselves from viruses. Typically, those masks are white or light blue in color, but face masks are prohibited in many schools.

What qualifies as an approved exception? Each school has its own policy, but there are plenty of people who wear them out in public to protect themselves from getting sick, or to protect others from their own contagious germs. They come in all types of colors and designs, even hot pink or Wonder Woman.

Students and teachers who need to wear one for health reasons have to get clearance from administrators, but it is unclear whether Smith sought permission for her mask. To hear more from this family about their disagreement with the school, watch the video below.

Do you agree with the school or the student on this issue? Have you worn a medical mask to school, work, or a public place that is similar to Smith’s?