Logan Eland isolated at Gin Gin High School over ear piercing

Parents of a 16-year-old boy isolated by his Queensland school because of an ear piercing have called for an overhaul of school dress policies, saying piercings should be accepted in the same way as gender identity.

Outraged parents have called for modernisation of uniform policy rules after a token of self-expression turned into a nightmare for their 16-year-old autistic son.

Gin Gin High School student Logan Eland was told to remove an industrial piercing in his right ear after getting the piercing over the Easter break. (An industrial piercing is a bar that goes across the top of the ear.)

Staff noticed the piercing when he returned to school on April 19, and sent him home, stating it was against school policy.

According to Logan’s parents, Barry Eland and Sue Ellen Hilder, the school would only allow two piercings in one ear, and Logan already had two lobe piercings in his right ear.

Mr Eland and Ms Hilder talked Logan into removing the piercing from his right ear and suggested he get it done in his left ear instead the following weekend to meet the school policy.

Mr Eland said when Logan returned to school on April 25, he was again asked to remove the piercing and was sent home, with the school telling him the piercing wasn’t allowed despite being in the opposite ear.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not overly fussed on his piercing myself, but it is the 21st century; this is becoming commonplace, the world is changing from what I’m used to and I have to accept that and move forward,” Mr Eland said.

“According to Queensland law, he’s legally allowed to do this without my permission, but in the school rules, he’s legally not allowed to do it.

“So is the Queensland Government correct or are the school rules correct?”

Mr Eland said Gin Gin High School claimed the piercing wasn’t allowed because it was a Health and Safety issue.

“We offered to sign a waiver saying that if anything was to happen and the earring was pulled out in any way and there was any damage, we wouldn’t hold the school responsible,” Mr Eland said.

Mr Eland called for consistency in the school’s approach, referring to a teacher who was allowed to have ‘stretchie’ piercings.

“If there’s an OH&S issue, as far as i’m concerned, OH&S doesn’t have an age limit, it affects everybody in the same way.”

As punishment for his piercing, Mr Eland claimed the school told Logan he could return on May 3, but he would need to stay in isolation every day and wasn’t allowed to go outside or be around other students until the completion of Year 11, or until he removed the bar.

Logan is autistic and suffers from ODD, ADHD and depression.

Ms Hilder said her son texted her from inside the detention room with words no mother ever wants to hear.

“He said he wanted to kill himself,” she said.

“It’s not good for him or his social life to sit inside all day.”

According to Mr Eland, the room was considerably small, measuring about 3.4m x 2.4m.

Logan was removed from isolation and allowed to join peers back in the classroom and at lunch as of yesterday.

The tiny detention room 16-year-old Logan, who has level 2 autism, was forced to isolate in because of his industrial piercing.

While the principal had since offered to table an exemption for Logan at a P&C meeting, Mr Eland claimed not everyone supported that.

The Department of Education told the NewsMail that schools were responsible for their own dress codes.

“Principals may develop a student dress code that will apply when students are attending or representing the school,” said Qld Education spokesperson said.

“The Gin Gin SHS dress code was developed in consultation with the school community and P&C, as is the case with most Queensland state schools.

“The school’s dress code is currently under review. The student in question will be allowed to continue wearing the piercing while the review is taking place.”

Mr Eland said moving forward, he would like to see high schools reinvent their uniform policies to allow teenagers to express themselves and be accepted for who they are.

“It’s time for a bit of modernisation in the schools and a little more acceptance,” he said.

“If we’re going to accept one thing, then we should accept all things regardless and you can’t be selective in that area.

“We’re supposed to be accepting of gender neutral toilets, we’re supposed to be accepting of children who want to identify as whatever they want to identify as.

“But then a piercing becomes a contention, you just can’t have that.”