OGDEN, Utah -
An Ogden teacher's job may be at stake if he decides to not cover his tattoos while on the clock. Ogden High employee, Mark Johnson, has been working as an English teacher at the school for 15 years and is now being told he has to cover up his arm tattoos. As of January this year, a district-wide dress code for teachers dictates specific dress appearance -- which also goes for body art. "I don't agree with it; I think tattoos is just an expression and if people see that it opens up a door for talking, for communicating, for educating, and that is what education is about," says Johnson.
Johnson got the tattoos soon after he was hired. But the school district is not making any exception to the rule and says he still must cover the tattoos. They say they would hate to lose a good teacher.
"So we decided that teaching is a career, teaching is a profession, and we want to set a professional standard so that our students will look at their teachers and say yes they are a professional and yes I could be a teacher and that I would love to have education as my career for 30 years," said Donna Corby, a spokeswoman from the Ogden School District.
Johnson says he realizes he could be fired for not following the dress code and does not want that to happen. But says he believes in standing up for what he believes in.
FOX 13's Sandy Riesgraf reports.
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Johnson got the tattoos soon after he was hired. But the school district is not making any exception to the rule and says he still must cover the tattoos. They say they would hate to lose a good teacher.
"So we decided that teaching is a career, teaching is a profession, and we want to set a professional standard so that our students will look at their teachers and say yes they are a professional and yes I could be a teacher and that I would love to have education as my career for 30 years," said Donna Corby, a spokeswoman from the Ogden School District.
Johnson says he realizes he could be fired for not following the dress code and does not want that to happen. But says he believes in standing up for what he believes in.
FOX 13's Sandy Riesgraf reports.
SEND US YOUR NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS PICTURES! www.fox13now.com/pics
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @fox13now
VISIT US ON YOUR CELL PHONE! http://mobile.fox13now.com
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