Parents of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota say they weren't consulted before a student dress code went into effect in the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District.

The dress code was publicized in a local newspaper this summer. But a lawsuit in federal court says the school district should have consulted parents and the tribe before making the change.

"It was just like a slap in the face," parent Carol Moran told the Associated Press. Moran's 15-year-old daughter was sent home twice for not following the dress code.

The school district adopted the dress code to address "gang-related violence," a Bureau of Indian Education official said. The district is part of the BIE system and the public school system.

So far, the dress code applies to students in kindergarten, 7th and 8th grade. More grades will be added every year.

Get the Story:
School dress code proves a hardship for South Dakota tribe (AP 9/14)
School dress code challenged in court (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 9/12)

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Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe sues over dress code (9/3)