JOPLIN —The Joplin School Board has given the green light to change district policy to forbid visible tattoos.
Teachers were previously required to wear clothing that "minimizes'' tattoos, butthe board did not prohibit part or all of the tattoo from showing. Board members appeared to be unanimous about tattoos being inappropriate in a classroom setting and authorized the policy change.
"There's a stigma associated with (tattoos), and it's not a good stigma," board member Jeff Flowers said.
Superintendent C.J. Huff said that once the district makes the policy change official, he'll notify schools from which the district recruits teachers most often, including Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and Pittsburg State University in Kansas.