Charter school lost case over skirts rule for girls, but debate over charter autonomy isn’t over

By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press

One of the mothers who successfully sued a North Carolina charter school over its requirement that girls wear skirts says she always knew she’d prevail. Bonnie Peltier told The Associated Press the skirts requirement was obviously “a ridiculous thing to ask a girl to do.” On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Charter Day School to review its skirt requirement. That left in place a lower court ruling that had struck down the dress code on equal protection grounds. The Supreme Court’s denial was a significant win for those who’ve long held that charter schools are public institutions. But experts say the debate over whether privately run charter schools can forgo constitutional protections is far from settled.