Male teachers can wear earrings in class, Turkish court rules

MANİSA - Doğan News Agency

Cuma Toygar, a primary school teacher in the Aegean province of Manisa, was fined for wearing an earring in his classroom five years ago. He was fined on the ground he had violated the public workers’ dress code. DHA Photo

Turkey’s council of state has approved a local court’s decision, which found a fine on a male teacher for wearing an earring in his class was unfair.

Cuma Toygar, a primary school teacher in the Aegean province of Manisa, was fined for wearing an earring in his classroom five years ago. He was fined on the ground he had violated the public workers’ dress code. 

He had filed a complaint to the Manisa 1st Administrative Court demanding the fine be overturned. The court cancelled the fine and the council of state also approved the local court’s ruling. 

In 2010, Toygar was warned three times to remove his earring before he was fined. He was also assigned to a position at a school in a village. 

The local court said the dress code for public workers does not ban jewelry for male or female employees, adding there is no ban on male teachers wearing earrings in class. 

The government office had made a statement saying male workers wearing earrings does not comply with “traditions and customs.” In its decision, the court said, “There is no proof that wearing an earring is not approved by society.” 

The court added, “Besides, the earring used by the teacher does not have any political, religious, ethnical symbol.”