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Parents, Students Protest School Fashion Police
Filed under: In The News, Weird But True, Fashion, Teen Culture
School district's dress code prohibits -- stripes? Credit: Getty Images
Plaids are out this fall at Richmond High School in Indiana.
All the way out.
If you are caught wearing plaids (or stripes or floral prints or anything with a logo on it), you risk getting suspended.
That's the new dress code.
At least 169 students have already been suspended for crimes against fashion, according to the local newspaper, the Palladium-Item. That has some people in this Indiana town of 40,000 off Interstate 70 near the Ohio border seeing a vibrant shade of fuchsia.
About 150 parents and students protested outside the school last Thursday, two days after school began for this year, claiming that the revised dress code passed by the Richmond School Board in May goes too far and is enforced too harshly. Most of the suspensions came about on Wednesday and Thursday.
"The dress code doesn't say anything about students in violation if you can see their collarbone, but students are getting suspended because of it," parent Brian Thompson told the Palladium-Item.
The dress code is on the school board agenda tonight. "I am looking forward to the public debate," board member David Stidham told the newspaper. "I think the more we have the better.
Despite the suspensions and protest on Thursday, school Superintendent Allen Bourff told the newspaper the school day proceeded normally, with most students in their classrooms.
Student Tomi McNew was one of those suspended because he came to school wearing shorts bearing a logo. Another student, Karlee Cochran, was suspended for wearing a low-cut, solid-colored white T-shirt. That was fine. But the tank top underneath didn't pass muster.
"It was kind of exciting," she told the Palladium-Item about the protest that lasted four hours. "Nothing ever happens in this town, and this was big excitement."
An online petition has gathered more than 1,300 signatures protesting the dress code. The same site includes a petition for school uniforms. It has gained fewer than a 100 signatures.
What do you think of school dress codes?
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 11)
8-27-2009 @ 6:21AM
Lynn said...I'm torn. I believe in self-expression, however, at the same time we need to remember that the sole purpose for attending school is to attain an EDUCATION so they will go out into the world and become working members of society. When they go out into the world they're are kinds of rules and social norms they need to be prepared for, and if parents aren't preparing them for this, then it will not bode well for their future. Let's face it, kids have been pushing the "fashion envelope" for too long, and the parents aren't the ones who have to deal with it during the school day. However, the schools don't need to be so stifling either---banning logo's is censorship and serves no legitimate purpose. I don't see why they're cannot be a panel of students, teachers and parents who can discuss, debate and determine what is/is not appropriate and adopt rules where everyone wins.
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8-27-2009 @ 6:47AM
sherrie sutton said...I live in a small town in TN they have a dress code . Only polos and no cargo shorts or pants. They have to tuck in shirts and wear a belt. I hate it!!!!! I think its ridiculous.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:01AM
Sarah said...Boo Frickety-Hoo! There is something about dressing up a bit that makes kids behave a little better and take the job of getting an education a bit more seriously. The kids are there to get an education, not put on a fashion show or snare a man. Most workplaces, while less formal than they used to be, do require people to make a modicum of effort to look decent. I will agree that the school Board in this particular case seems to have gone a bit over the top, but who knows what the kids were wearing before? I am always amazed when I see what parents let their kids go out of the house wearing. People need to remember why kids are in school in the first place. My kids attend private school with a pretty strict dress code, and it's really no big deal since everyone has to follow it. My daughter graduated last year and will start at her first choice university next week.
8-27-2009 @ 9:41AM
CM said...I might be wrong but I believe that I did live in the same small town in TN and my sister still does. My son attended in '06 and I will never forget the day that I was called because his pants were the wrong color. My mom was also called on day due to my niece's clothing that had a rainbow ribbon on the waistband of her capris, I believe it was. At the time, I was a single parent with two children, no support from the father, and having to provide two separate wardrobes for my son. Don't get me wrong, I believe in a dress code but if the school board wants to be this strict, then they should provide the clothing. At one point of clothes shopping, we went to three different stores in the county and none of them had clothing that was allowed.
8-27-2009 @ 6:48AM
sandra said...Well I can understand dress-code and think it's best to stay going..We have dress code here also in Pennsylvania..While back before dress-code kid's were getting jumped for clothe's,thier sneaker's and so fourth like jewerly..People should WORRY more about thier kid's educations and safety before they worry bout how they are to dressed..Come people wake-up what's more important to you your kid's education n health or about what they have to wear? Again come on people,clothes will live on forever but if your kid's are jumped and seriously hurt or worst and don't live on..Then you will see on what was the point of worring bout what they had to wear or thier safety n education..THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE......
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8-27-2009 @ 6:50AM
SirSFsBE said...my daughter went to elementary and Middle school with uniforms,i will say that even then the kids find some way to out do eachother,either by shoes,or backpacks,who has jansport who doesn't ect.. My daughters grades were great in elementary and Middle school she went to HS and wham there dropped the grades ebcause it was more important to "fit in" look like so and so....The who Jan has Levies and Judy has good will or walmart,has been going on for eons never hurt anyone realy,yeah the names and stuiff folks get called hurt but it teaches one to accept and move on.
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8-27-2009 @ 6:54AM
shellpink said...growing up in australia, i wore a uniform to school. it was so much easier to get up in the morning and throw it on without having to think twice. we were all equals and no pressure to outdo each other, plus, if there were any students who caused problems outside of school, they were identified by their uniform. i know the pressure my kids felt here in the states to try to keep up with those who could afford clothes from the trendy stores. i shopped at caldor and bradlees or sewed the clothes myself.
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8-27-2009 @ 6:55AM
arla said...Uniforms, simple, affordable uniforms - stop this "back to shool" clothing shopping madness and make kids indistinguisable from each other based on income level. It doesn't have to be anything fancy even just PLAIN regular cut jeans and a white long sleeve oxford shirt in Winter and a white polo type in warmer months would be sufficient nothing else except maybe a tie, also an affordable shoe with a price restriction of say no more than $50.00 for a pair of shoes Would that REALLY be so difficult to enforce?
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8-27-2009 @ 8:33AM
Hunter said...While I think a lot of kids go too far with the fashion issues, I have concerns about the school uniform as well.
A friend's son is going to a new high school that requires uniforms. The cost of the clothes is incredible! And this is after having to pay tuition for his education.
I know that people spend a lot of kids' clothes for school but being required to purchase specific shirts & pants, this brand and not that brand for a school uniform puts an added burden on families with limited incomes.
I agree that there need to be guidelines. Keeping certain body parts covered appropriately, not looking like you're going out to walk the streets, etc.
When I was a kid there was certainly a dress code. However it was extremely sexist. Girls couldn't wear pants and when they finally were allowed to they had to wear dress pants while the boys could wear jeans.
Being reasonable and fair in setting appropriate dress guidelines helps kids, but this extreme is crazy.
8-27-2009 @ 7:04AM
Betty said...I THINK THAT BANNING PLAIDS AND STRIPES ARE STUPID BUT.....I THINK IS IS VERY BRAVE TO ATTACK THE FASHION WORLD....SEEMS THE MORE SKIN THEY CAN SHOW IS WHAT THEY WANT MANY 8 YRS OLD LOOK LIKE THEIR MOTHERS WITH THEIR OUTFITS......THE FASHION WORLD SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO MAKE THESE FOR TEENS AND LITTLE GIRLS.....IT GOES BACK TO RESPECT....A PARENT THAT TELLS THEIR CHILD NOT TO ABIDE BY RULES OF SCHOOL BY NOT MAKING THEM TO WEAR UNIFORMS AND LETTING THEM GO IN CLOTHES THAT WOULD BE SHAMEFUL IN A NIGHT CLUB...I WONDER WHERE THEIR HEADS ARE...MOST PARENTS ARE AFRAID TO TELL THEIR CHILDREN NO...I THINK GIRLS SHOULD RESPECT THEIR BODIES AND NOT EXPLOIT THEMSELVES..THIS WOULD BE DISTRACTIVE IN CLASS...THEY ARE THERE TO GET AN EDUCATION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD. THIS WOULD KEEP A LOT OF YOUNG GIRLS LANDING ON WELFARE WITH 2 BABIES OR SO AND PARENTS HAVING TO RAISE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN BECAUSE THEY MISSED THEIR CHILDHOOD TRYING TO BE GROWN UP...IT IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH THEM..AND IF THEY LEAD THEM WRONG THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND....I RAISED 6 AND MY DAUGHTERS NEVER HAD BABIES BEFORE THEY GOT MARRIED AND ALL MY CHILDREN WENT TO COLLEGE AND OTHER TRAINING AND ARE SELF PROVIDING.. AND THEIR CHILDREN ALL WORK HARD IN SCHOOL PLAY SPORTS AND THEIR PARENTS ARE THERE TO LEAD THEM...THANK GO FOR EACH...A PROUD MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER IN OHIO
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8-27-2009 @ 7:07AM
kerri said...Is this a joke? What is wrong with wearing a striped polo shirt? What is wrong with a young lady wearing a floral print tee? If a boy wore a smart looking plaid button-front oxford, he'd be sent home?
This is just crazy. The article only makes them sound like loons. One girl's shirt is ok, but the tank she wore under it got her into trouble? As long as the tank top wasn't her ONLY top, and her other shirt was acceptable, what difference does it make? They do realize that this is a high school, so the girls are wearing, gasp, not just tank tops under their shirts but, BRAS! and some of them are bound to have lace! Are boys banned from wearing tank style undershirts under their regular shirts too?
How far does this logo ban go? no nike swoosh on the athletic pants/ shorts? no little alligator or other embroidery on the chest of polos? No pocket tag on the back of levi's? Good luck finding clothing with No identifiable marks/ logos whatsoever. I understand wanting to cut down on the fashion show mentality in schools, but to this extreme its silly. Seriously, what is wrong with striped polos, or plaid button front shirts?
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8-27-2009 @ 8:18AM
No Apologies for Being Size 4 said...That's what I was thinking -- how in the world do you find anything that doesn't have a logo on it these days? My boys wear "uniforms" to school, but not uniforms enforced by a dress code -- they simply choose to wear a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers every day. I will say, however, that my oldest had to put masking tape over an arguably offensive word on a t-shirt one day, but at least they didn't send him home -- he was allowed to stay and learn. And, the first day of school this year, I made my 15 year-old change his jeans because the ones he had on were full of holes – that was my responsibility as his mother.
I'm glad I don't have girls, because I would be fighting with them about trying to look sexy at too young of an age. Short-shorts, low décolletage, or outfits that allow a belly roll to hang over the tops of jeans should be out, but let's get real with plaids, floral prints, or logos -- it's simply not possible to find such plain vanilla clothing these days. I do believe, though, that the parents of these girls who try so hard to look like hookers should put their foot down – little girls in inappropriate sex-kitten outfits are not cute to anyone but young boys and pedophiles.
Also, a word about uniforms – the poster who said their school argued that the kid’s father wore a uniform and therefore it should be no problem for their child was right on with their issue of the expense of the uniforms, but neglected to mention something even more important -- “dad” has most likely stopped growing. Our kids outgrow their clothes at a bankruptcy-inducing rate – who will pay for the new uniforms when the child has outgrown them? Add to that the fact that parents must still purchase other clothing for social situations outside of school and you can just go ahead and plan on being broke.
Having said all of that, however, don't even get me started on the superiority complex some school boards seem to have. I live in Missouri, and I'm quite certain that Indiana shares the same "big fish in a little pond" mentality of its school board members. These people tend to have an overblown sense of themselves and need to remember what school is all about -- learning. They need to back off of their self-imposed sense of being "holier than thou," and stop trying to cram their ultra-conservative views down the throats of the young minds they are molding. It's a much different world we live in these days, true, but teasing and jockeying for status has always been, and will always be a part of the social adjustments and acclimation that kids must make in school.
8-27-2009 @ 7:13AM
crystal said...I believe in school uniforms to an extent....This is flat out ridiculous.....school uniforms being no inappropriate logos no really short shorts, see through shirts, revealing shirts etc... kids still need some kind of independence in school.no matter what they wear there is going to be the popular kids and gothic kids jocks and so on......clothes don't change someone just enhance preexisting thoughts of someone....
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8-27-2009 @ 7:13AM
netserkj said...I can't believe this story has made the national news. I work at this school and the students have never looked (or acted) better. The dress code is great as far as I am concerned. I hope the school district sticks to its policy. The code is VERY SIMPLE - plain clothes - also MUCH CHEAPER than uniforms. You can see a copy of the dress code at www.rcs.k12.in.us. Then you can decide for yourself if the school board has gone too far. This article doesn't tell the whole story.
Unfortunately the parents choose not to argue these points back in May when letters were sent home to everyone. Now this has become a "circus" and it is taking away from the teaching and learning that should be taking place in the classroom.
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8-27-2009 @ 7:38AM
Terri said...I just looked at the actual dress code, and I see nothing inappropriate about the guidelines. You could outfit your child with plain tees, polos, and sweatshirts for very little money, and they would look good. I agree the parents are the problem here. If they had an issue they should have brought it up months ago so it could be resolved before school started. My husband is a teacher, and one of the biggest classroom distractions he has run into are clothing-related. He comes from England, where uniforms are the norm, and they don't have this issue. School is for education, so if you want to "express yourself," do it after school.
8-27-2009 @ 8:09AM
Olana said...Thank you for providing the URL leading to the dress code itself. Whoever wrote the news article didn't read the school district's policy. Nothing in the dress code prohibits plaids or floral prints. Safety appears to be one of the main concerns with this code. Spend a day in a middle school without a dress code to see why school dress guidelines serve a purpose.
I am not surprised that some parents and students are upset. Had parents been paying attention when the school board instituted this policy, they could have voiced their objections then. Clearly, those who are protesting now did not take the time to read the letters that were sent home in the spring.
8-27-2009 @ 9:43AM
cloudman4utoday said...An article in the news that doesn't provide the whole story? Surely you jest.....The media would never stoop to levels that low. Not!
8-27-2009 @ 7:27AM
Mary said...I think if we really look around at the way kids dress today, it is a problem and unfortunately we as parents are suppose to be setting guide lines as to what is right and wrong and then we have to look at parents that have no control over their children and the ones that are afraid of their children and then the ones that think their children should have freedom of expression, well the problem to me is whether we like it or not there are all kinds of kids and all kinds of taste in wardrobe and the sad thing is the ones who think they are above rules & what is worse their parents stand by them even if they are wrong and then you have some of the kids who dress exactly like their parents (in all cases not a good thing all the time)! What ever the case rules are rules whether we like them or not and they have to be followed no matter how dumb or stupid we think they are. In my opinion the fashion of today especially for the kids is scary, they don't know where their waist line is and the girls do not seem to want to keep anything left to the imagination. What they have to learn is self respect and respect for others who have to see them everyday. However I think this high school is going a little to far and should just get uniforms.
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8-27-2009 @ 7:30AM
AL said...Parents WITHOUT any involvement with their children DON'T CARE about dress codes and most likely their studies. ALL third world countries require some sort of uniform. It also helps seperate who is a student and who is not. This is benifical for school security.
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8-27-2009 @ 11:53AM
BettyKC said...I am surprised that you are the first person to mention security. Requiring uniforms makes an interloper stand out and that is important. When you take a group on school trips, it helps for quick identification of one of your strays.
It doesn't hurt for kids to learn a few of the realities of life. Taking the high moral ground for a striped tee shirt is ridiculous. So many young people have trouble fitting into the work world because their attitude is "you can't tell me what to do." Unfortunately, the answer is -- "Maybe I can't tell you what to do. But you certainly can't tell me I have to let you work here."
Best to learn early to save the fight for the truly important things.