Hopkinton Public Schools allows some Sikh students to carry small ceremonial knives in school under a policy the district adopted in 2024.
The policy drew new attention last week after Libs of TikTok posted about it on X, saying Hopkinton had passed a policy “allowing Sikh students to bring and carry knives to school for religious reasons.”
The Gateway Pundit and The Post Millennial also covered the policy this week.
The ceremonial knife is called a kirpan. It is one of the five articles of faith for initiated Sikhs, along with uncut hair, a comb, a steel bracelet, and special undergarments. Sikhs often describe the kirpan as a reminder to defend the weak and stand against injustice.
Hopkinton’s policy does not allow any Sikh student to bring any knife to school. It applies only to students who have a “deeply held religious belief,” have gone through the Amrit Pahul initiation ceremony and have “a record of appropriate school behavior.”
The student and the student’s family must meet with school officials every year and sign an agreement. The meeting must include the building principal and the district’s director of equity and access.
The kirpan must have a dull blade, and it cannot be longer than 3 inches.
The student must keep it sheathed, secured and hidden under clothing “to ensure the highest possible safety at all times,” the policy says. The student also cannot draw it at school, at a school event, or on school transportation.
The policy also covers gym class, sports, and trips. During physical activities, the student must keep the kirpan under clothing or in a secure pocket. If school officials decide the student cannot safely keep it during an activity or trip, an adult must lock it away.
Hopkinton’s broader weapons policy bans students from bringing weapons to school, including knives. However, it lets the district make exceptions for “sacred religious articles” that resemble weapons.
CBS Boston reported in 2024 that Hopkinton may have been the first school district in Massachusetts to allow initiated Sikh students to carry kirpans in school. WHDH reported at the time that the policy drew mixed reactions from parents.
The policy resurfaced as a murder case in England sparked debate about kirpans and knife laws. The Guardian reported that Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man, wore a small kirpan under his clothing but also carried a much larger knife when he murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton, England.
Sikh leaders condemned the murder and said the larger knife did not represent their faith.
