The Compromise

Since that cold Nov. 18 when she first showed up in her seventh-grade classroom wearing a pair of corduroy slacks, Shirley Richardson, 14, of Thompsonville, Conn., has been leading a lonely life. Principal Ernest White told her that slacks were against the rule, and that unless she returned to skirts, she would have to sit in a room by herself. Shirley's parents protested that as a result of an operation four years ago, Shirley's legs needed special protection against the cold. The principal asked to see a doctor's affidavit, but never got one. When the Richardsons' lawyer appealed the case, the school board sided with Principal White. "But it's the parents' right," argued the Richardsons, as Shirley's ostracism continued, "to decide what to wear, not the principal's or the school board's."

Last week, after more than a month of studying alone and being barred from most school activity, Shirley's ordeal came to an end. Her parents and school authorities hit upon a compromise that, if it did not put Shirley entirely at her ease, at least saved her health and the school's sense of propriety. Henceforth, as long as the wintry blasts blew, Shirley's costume would consist of slacks topped by a skirt.

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