Mark Johnson shares the story of his family with the tattoos on his left forearm: his wife's initials, his daughter's name in Chinese characters and a skull that reminds him of when his son, at 4 months, had surgery to open the soft spot that closed too soon.
For her 40th birthday six years ago, Halie Vaughan pierced her nose in San Diego as a manifestation that she's "still alive."
Now both of these Ogden High School teachers have to hide those symbols of who they are from their students.
In January, the Ogden City School District changed its dress code to ban visible tattoos and facial piercings during work hours.
Johnson, who has taught English at Ogden High for 15 years, initially declined to hide his tattoos. But after his principal discussed the steps of appeal -- a process that could end in termination -- Johnson began covering up.
"I need to take care of my family for sure," said Johnson, who has four kids. "To me, it's a spoiled [work] environment."
Vaughan, who has taught special ed at the school for 11 years, slipped the tiny, gold heart out of her nose and replaced it with a clear stud.
"I'm trying to show my kids, even though I don't agree with this, I am complying because that's what we need to do in a society," she said. "I'm trying to be a role model."
Davis, Canyons, Jordan and Granite school districts do not ask their teachers to cover up tattoos or remove piercings when at work. Those districts have general requirements that teachers' appearances be "professional."
And that's what Ogden's new policy is all about, said spokeswoman Donna Corby.
"What we wanted to do," she said, "is raise the bar for professional attire and appearance with our students."
Teachers, Corby said, are modeling appropriate images for students as they prepare to enter the workforce. Many companies, she noted, don't allow employees to showcase tattoos or piercings.
But Johnson said the policy places too much emphasis on appearance and ignores the diversity found at Ogden High.
"We're diverse, but we're trying to hide it -- literally," Johnson said. Not every kid, he explained, has "button-down" parents.
"A lot of them are like me: hard-working people who have tattoos," he said. "That's the ice breaker sometimes."
Vaughan agrees.
"There are so many students nowadays who just don't fit into the typical mold," she said. "They're expressing themselves in different ways. When they see a teacher like Mark with his tattoos or me with my nose, it maybe opens the door to make a connection."
The stigma associated with tattoos, she noted, is fading as body art becomes more commonplace.
Rick Palmer, director of the Ogden Education Association, noted the teachers' union was consulted on the policy change. Teachers, including Vaughan, offered comments.
But he said he hopes the dialogue is still open on the new rules, which were adopted by the administration without a formal vote by the Board of Education.
"This is new," Palmer said. "Hopefully, we'll have an opportunity to continue the conversation with the superintendent and the district and make sure it's a fair policy that works for everybody."
