DALTON, Ga. — Chase Young, an eighth-grader at Eastbrook Middle School, said he loves school and wants to be there.

Whitfield County Schools Superintendent Judy Gilreath said school officials want him there, too, but he has to follow the school system’s dress code.

Chase missed more than a week of school recently for refusing to remove gauges where his ears are pierced before returning on Tuesday. He spent Tuesday in In School Suspension (ISS) where he will remain until he removes the ear gauges.

“School officials told them (Chase’s parents) we want him back in school,” Gilreath said. “All students have to go with the dress code.”

According to the 2016-17 Whitfield County Schools Student Dress Code for grades 6-12, “The following fads, styles, types of clothing, accessories and appearances are deemed inappropriate … Any objects in pierced body parts other than the ear. Spikes, gauges, etc., are not allowed.”

Eric Beavers, communications specialist for Whitfield County Schools, said school officials define “gauge” as a “disk or ring that goes inside the ear lobe.” Gilreath said there are concerns about safety with the gauges.

Chase’s mother, Tina Young, said what he has are plugs and not gauges.

“It keeps his ear from closing up and the (pierced) hole from getting bigger,” she said during a school board meeting earlier this month.

Louis Fordham, vice chair of the board of education, said board members will talk to school system leadership and read the policy.

“We’ll definitely investigate it from the standpoint of which you presented it,” he said to Tina Young.

Fordham said the system’s policy is “designed for a reason.”

Tina Young said Eastbrook officials told her Chase is allowed back in school if he takes the items out. If not, he must go to In School Suspension.

“He feels like he shouldn’t have to take the earrings out and I back him,” Tina Young said. “If you look at his jewelry it’s not disruptive and it doesn’t pose a safety risk.”

Chase said he’s worn plugs all year. In the beginning he wore spikes, but he said he took them out when teachers complained.

“They didn’t like the spikes so we tried to fix it,” Anthony Preavtte, Chase’s stepfather, said. “It’s like as soon as we find a solution to one problem they want to gripe about the next one.”

Tina Young said she was further “aggravated” last Friday when she went to pick up Chase’s schoolwork and was handed home school forms.

“That kind of offended me,” she said. “He loves school and doesn’t want to quit.”

Preavtte said he felt like school officials don’t want Chase in school anymore.

“They’re trying to get him to drop out of school since he doesn’t want to take his earring out is how I saw it,” he said.

Gilreath said that’s not the case and the parents were only given the forms as an option.

“They asked what the options were if he didn’t return to school,” she said. “It’s enroll in home school or an online academy,.”

Gilreath said he has to be in school somewhere or it’s considered truancy.

“We want the child in school, yet there is a board policy that says they can’t have a gauge,” she said.

Tina Young said Chase hasn’t done anything wrong.

“My son goes to school for an education, not to be judged on his appearance,” she said. “I feel like it’s not affecting anyone and the rule should apply to every student and teacher.”

Preavtte said Chase is a good kid and doesn’t deserve ISS.

“His education is more important than a little thing sitting in his ear,” he said.

Chase said he likes school and interacting with his friends, which he can’t do in ISS.

“We just sit there in a corner all day,” he said

Tina Young said that’s another concern she has.

“He’s sitting in ISS and not getting help with his work. At least when he’s home we can help him,” she said.

Gilreath said Young and any other parent concerned about the dress code is welcome to be a part of the committee deciding on dress code policies for the 2017-18 school year. A meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 14, at 6 p.m. at the Support Services Center at 201 E. Tyler St. in Dalton.

“That’s when those decisions are made for the next year,” she said.