Come on....when I was in Jr. High, all I wanted was to be like everyone else. My best friend and I would often wear the same thing. I wonder if these girls had worn the school colors if they would have been in the same trouble. If they are trying to say these girls were gang members, maybe it WAS racial profiling. I don't know the whole story tho.
These days the dress code must be different than my 8th grade days in the 70s. I know gang members wear their "colors" so I bet dressing in the same outfits is against some stupid "zero tolerance" rule.

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Why is it always "RACISM" when anyone is a color other than white? Immaturity yes! Racial profiling, most likely not. The school obviously has rules in place about kids dressing alike for a REASON. If they chose to break this rule, boo hooo on them.

By the time one is in middle school, I would hope that one is mature enough not to dress like their friends when they were in thier younger years. When I was in middle school (in the 80s) it was considered WAY not cool to do this. I know times have changed since then, but I don't think they have reverted.

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I don't see how this is racist, but it is incredibly stupid. I am amazed by the absurd things kids get disciplined for in schools sometimes.

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I have a strong suspicion that we are not getting the whole story, here. Having worked in the public school system, in Indiana, at a middle school (not the one in question), I know that school officials cannot discuss private student information with the press. This includes discipline issues. AND, as most of us know, students almost always take the "it wasn't my fault! I'm completely innocent!" tack whenever possible.

In this case, the students and the parents are free to tell their story in any way they wish, but the school is bound by privacy laws.

I don't know if racism was involved, but I do think that "racism" is a tactic that is used way too much in this country. Sometimes it's there. More often than not, it is a red herring thrown in to inflame a situation, or to deflect from the real situation.

My personal suspicion, based on my experience with middle school kids, is that these girls were doing something against the rules - perhaps wearing colors associated with a gang in their area (red is a very popular "gang color" in Indiana), or acting in some way that was against the rules, and they knew they were wrong, and they got busted.

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Do you think if two little white girls had worn the same outfits they would have been suspended as gang members? C'mon! Racism exists. Just because you, as a white person, have not experienced it, doesn't mean that the authorities didn;t jump to conclusions based on these girls' skin color.

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I thought they looked cute but if they were in violation of some "overkill" rule, they probably should have known better.

Red is viewed with alarm here because of the gang connection. However, I have it on good authority (teens) that gang colors here are also purple, blue, and brown. The high school has a rule against blue but I see jeans all the time.

I don't know whether it's racist but I do wonder.

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Yes, "Wow", racism does exist. And it may surprise you, that even I, as a white person, have experienced it.

My point was not that racism *doesn't* exist (because it does), but that perhaps there is more to this story than we are being told. By 'playing the race card', this situation has been turned from four girls who may or may not have violated a rule to one that cannot be questioned because now it's about race and nothing else.

You're right, perhaps that principal *did* bust these girls because of their color. But maybe he didn't, and they're using their color to get out of a situation they don't like. It's happened before.

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I don't know that it was a racial thing so much as a stupid thing. I remember in middle school being kicked out of the mall with several of my friends because we had all dyed our hair green and were walking the mall.

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I agree with Julie (except I graduated in 2003). I never dressed like my classmates, often because we couldn't afford the expencive clothing they wore and because I am an INDIVIDUAL! Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but their shirts (in the picture) are also cut WAY too LOW!

I agree with LS, I have witnessed racism in my work.

Two people (both have worked for Wal-Mart for the same amount of time) are late everyday for about two weeks, one "white" and one "black". The "white" person called EVERYDAY to inform his manager that she was running late that her car is acting up and she will be there in 30 minutes. Shows up in 15 minutes, earlier then expected. The "black" person calls once or twice says she will be their in 30 minutes and shows up in an hour, offers no excuse and also is no call no show twice (three times your fired). Well the manager fires the "white" person and TRYS to fire the "black" person. Trys because the "black" person runs to the store manager and "plays the race card" saying that the manager is racist towards her. She gets her job back. I don't understand HOW the manager is racist because there are other "black" people under her that said it wasn't true (they follow the rules, call when they are going to be late or can't make it to work). Yet the "white" person goes to the store manager and asks for her job back because she has a family and really needs the job and she was having problems with her car and called EVERY day. The car problem has been fixed and the other girl got her job back. She DOESN'T get his job back. Now, there is a case of "racism against a white".

Now there isn't much I can do because I need the job for MY family. So I am on time everyday and follow ALL the rules so I don't lose my job. Also there isn't any "extras" for this story because I worked with BOTH people. The "black" person is STILL late every day and continues to work for the store. Luckly the "white" person has another job, unluckly she took a dollar pay cut.

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I agree with Julie (except I graduated in 2003). I never dressed like my classmates, often because we couldn't afford the expencive clothing they wore and because I am an INDIVIDUAL! Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but their shirts (in the picture) are also cut WAY too LOW!

I agree with LS, I have witnessed racism in my work.

Two people (both have worked for Wal-Mart for the same amount of time) are late everyday for about two weeks, one "white" and one "black". The "white" person called EVERYDAY to inform his manager that she was running late that her car is acting up and she will be there in 30 minutes. Shows up in 15 minutes, earlier then expected. The "black" person calls once or twice says she will be their in 30 minutes and shows up in an hour, offers no excuse and also is no call no show twice (three times your fired). Well the manager fires the "white" person and TRYS to fire the "black" person. Trys because the "black" person runs to the store manager and "plays the race card" saying that the manager is racist towards her. She gets her job back. I don't understand HOW the manager is racist because there are other "black" people under her that said it wasn't true (they follow the rules, call when they are going to be late or can't make it to work). Yet the "white" person goes to the store manager and asks for her job back because she has a family and really needs the job and she was having problems with her car and called EVERY day. The car problem has been fixed and the other girl got her job back. She DOESN'T get his job back. Now, there is a case of "racism against a white".

Now there isn't much I can do because I need the job for MY family. So I am on time everyday and follow ALL the rules so I don't lose my job. Also there isn't any "extras" for this story because I worked with BOTH people. The "black" person is STILL late every day and continues to work for the store. Luckly the "white" person has another job, unluckly she took a dollar pay cut.

There has to be MORE to the story of the four girls suspended! Also as another poster said, the rules are put there for a reason. EVERYONE should KNOW the RULES because if I remember correctly ALL students are handed a RULE BOOK at the beginning of the year. Maybe I am just a "geek" for actually READING the handbook!

Racism does exist unfortunitly and it is towards ALL colors (black, white, red, yellow, brown). The only message I ever liked about my grandmother's religion was "RACE UNITY, ONE RACE, THE HUMAN RACE", the only thing that I have found with ANY religion that made a bit of sence(spelling?).

Okay, I am done ranting! Good NIGHT!

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Sorry about the double post, I didn't mean for that first one to show up, never happened before. Sorry!

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Well I am going to disagree.. in middle school and high school (90s) people in clubs, dance teams, sports teams... dressed alike all the time.. that is how you know they are part of that. If they are all part of an after school dance team and are friends... well that seems normal. Their outfit looked "dancy" to me...

Defiantely members of the same group dressed alike. All the was through high school. Right down to hair ties and perfectly matched shoes.

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I think race was an issue when it comes to the 'girls' suspention. The principal, for example, should know his students well enough to know if they were gang related (bad grades or misconduct). Is there any just cause, besides the fact that their outfits matched, to why they were suspended? What about the school band? Were they suspended too?

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A 4 day suspension seems a bit steep for a clothing violation. And I DOUBT that if these girls were white, that they would have been accused of being gang members. Latina, yeah, but not white-or Asian-or Indian. Of course, there will always be a bunch of white people who "don't see how it could be racist" or think black people "always pull the race card". I don't see why it is so hard for people to see things through other peoples eyes. I don't have to EXPERIENCE something to know that it is unfair.
The Walmart situation? That is ONE factor of your life. I bet you didin't face racism at the busstop, at the grocery, at the doc's office, at the Polls, at school, you know, EVERYWHERE. Nope. You face it at work, and all of a sudden, you know what it's like. Please! As soon as you get another job that racism thing will be history for you. You will be back to "pulling your white privilege card". Yet, another black person will be denied, fired, insulted by politicians, harrased by cops, beaten, faslely identified, falsely convicted, overly sentenced, and underpaid. (Let me guess, all this has happened to YOU too???) For them, it will continue as always. Your white privilegde card has more power than ANY race card.

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