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 4 of 11)
8-27-2009 @ 8:25AM
Tykary said...I have 3 children -- 14,12 & 8. The best thing I have ever done for them is enroll them in schools that have uniforms. Surprisingly, the cost of the uniforms is remarkably LESS then non-uniform clothing. The uniform requirement keeps the kids on an "even" social ground with their peers and no child is judged because of what they wear. I remember, when I was in school, being teased because my family couldn't afford the name brand clothing that my peers were wearing------our children in America are growing up waaaayyyy to fast in this society and parents are getting to "relaxed" when enforcing rules and limitations. Keep the dress codes going...make school days longer again...and get the cell phones out of school. Parents, be home when your kids arrive home from school and talk to them about their day....Lets get back to the basics and start to turn this around now.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:27AM
Albert said...There is no doubt that students wearing uniforms have better grades than common students who's parents do not care what hey wear. There is also less teenage pregnancy in Catholic schools where children are taught good morals. Sometimes when driving near Baltimore in the mornings, I see those city children wearing terrible outfits. Catholic school graduates will go on to a college more so that ignorant students attending public schools.
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8-27-2009 @ 3:19PM
sindony said...Hey Albert, when I was in high school, the local Catholic school only went up to 8th grade. The Catholic girls coming in to our high school had quite the snobbish attitude because they went to private school all this time. Out of about a dozen pregnancies among the girls in my high school years, 8 or 9 of them were Catholic girls. Riddle me that one.
8-27-2009 @ 8:31AM
LnyTns1 said...I live in Indiana & this story has been on our news daily. I have an 8th grader (at a different school) & while I feel a dress code is appropriate this has gone way overboard. At our school there is no sagging pants, no inappropriate slogan tees, nothing with alcohol or drug related messages. Nothing across the butt. Two of the newest are shorts can't be above the knees & no tank tops or spaghetti straps. While the kids aren't happy about the two newest items, it is nothing like what this school is trying to pull. It is ridiculous what they expect these kids to "not wear". I feel sorry for these parents having to deal with this. No plaid....c'mon!!! Let the school officials go out & buy clothes for all these kids. I think someone is on a big power trip. There is a need for a dress code these days, but it needs to be realistic.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:16PM
Marlene said...I think school uniforms are a great idea. Kids coming to school in flip flops is un safeon the playground. Take the focus off the attire and keep it on the academics and better social skills. Studentscan dress the waythey want when they are out of school.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:37AM
Marie said...My oldest son had to wear uniforms and my youngest son is being pushed into a corner about what he wears. Make rules for all high schoolers, not just special rules for the gangs. Both of my kids were in honors or AP classes. They could go to school in a bathing suit and still make good grades. The clothes do not make the kids and smarter or dumber. I don't remember who wrote that comment but no offense intended.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:39AM
Dianne said...I've always said that when you ENTER a PUBLIC SCHOOL you should be issued a uniform. This is how things are handled when you enter the armed forces.
When you enter a PRIVATE SCHOOL then you are allowed to wear what ever you want.
The whole uniform issue should be flipped in regard to public and private schools.
Oh, I forgot the retailers would not make as much money pushing their current styles.
I really have to laugh because the kids today are actually wearing uniforms. Just walk into any public school and they are ALL dressed alike. Jeans, tennis shoes/sneakers and maybe a different color top/shirt.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:39AM
Nina said...My children go to public school where they are required to wear uniforms. I have no problem with that. They have to wear polo shirts and pant/shorts in certain colors. I think it is a good idea b/c the lessens the likelihood that the will be teased for not having name brand clothing, it also reduces the amount of boys wearing their pants around their knees. The students are also required to wear a belt. Now since everyone looks the same, they need to focus on education, knowing each other for who they are and not what they have or not have, and not worrying about what te in styles are. I did not go and buy a closet full of uniform clothing, and most of them I was able to get at walmart or goodwill. So I didn't have tospend that much either. But at least they have a weeks worth of them and they just get washed to wear for the next week. I really can't complain b/c it saves me the hassle of a teenage girl coming to me wanting a $100 pair of jeans b/c it is in style.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:46AM
Jess said...I personally feel that a lot of the clothing kids wear to school are highly inappropriate (too low cut, too short, ripped with big holes, etc) which screams that the social aspect of school is more important to the kids than their education (no, this is not new, I had that attituude in high school also). But to ban the most commonly found clothing -- those with logos on them -- is ridiculous. If they want plain Jane clothing for the kids then the school board should come up with a reasonable, across the board school uniform and make it feasible for parents to buy. One cannot go into a mall and not be assaulted by all the shops carrying clothing with their logos on it!
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8-27-2009 @ 9:06AM
cal said...big load of bs plaids are nothing offensive. where I go to school you can see most of the guy's boxers and the girl's skirts and sometimes their shirts can get kind of scary. STOP WORRYING ABOUT THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER AND FIX THE EYESORES.
PLAIDS ARE DEFINITELY NOT EYESORES. I wore a kilt to Prom once. that was tartan plaid. we were afraid I was going to have to turn over my sporran/pouch, and I was going to refuse because it was part of the suit, and it was NOT cheap.
BANNING PLAIDS = ENGLAND, 1746...DON'T DO IT!
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8-27-2009 @ 10:11AM
Sindony said...Thank you Cal, I was wondering if the Campbells and MacDonalds had started a tartan war in this school.
I think this is ridiculous. I have 3 daughters, my youngest is thankfully in her senior year. I've had no trouble with them dressing indecent. I just remind them that while they might be getting the attention from high school boys, they will also be looked at by school staff that are old enough to be their grandfather, scruffy road construction workers watching them walk to and from school, and the registered sex offender who is allowed to live 2 blocks down the road. Not scare tactics, just the truth. This has creeped them out enough that none of them have ever been sent home because of clothing with questionable coverage. We did have one instance where the assistant principal claimed that my daughter's coat was a 'trench coat', so that meant she was carrying a small arsenal of weapons in it. I made a video presentation to the assistant principal showing that I could successfully conceal 5 weapons into the outfit my daughter was wearing, including the coat. However, the ROTC UNIFORM they love seeing on kids....I successfully concealed 14 weapons, and 3 of those were handguns. Kids wouldn't be so worried about who is wearing what label if their parents didn't teach them that brands are important. But who knows, the designer duds little Suzie is flaunting could well have been purchased at a 2nd-hand or consignment shop, so there is no reason to envy her. My girls care about comfort and functionality, not what logo or brand is on it, because that is how I raised them. A little common sense on the part of some of the parents would go a long way toward avoiding idiotic rules like this one being made.
8-27-2009 @ 10:43AM
MaryAnn said...totally ridiculous.
i think the school needs to be more concerned with the students academics then with their clothing. in case the person playing god hasn't noticed, the only message you are sending to these children is that the human body is shameful, and needs to be totally hidden, and their expression and feelings should be surpressed. Oh, and the last time I checked, the bible said nothing about plaid being evil.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:58AM
Chris said...vlynnieg....Its people like you who make it necessary for these kinds of rules. You have COMPLETELY MISSED THE WHOLE POINT.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:12AM
amusedeasily said...Have you people seen what these kids wear to school these days? I was a teen in the 70's - minis skirts and all - but what the girls show up in is disgraceful and distracting. There is no modesty whatseoever and believe me, they show it all. And the boys wear pants that literally fall to the ground. You are treated every day to boxer shorts in full view.
This school is too strict but it's best to start strict and move backwards than start off liberally.
One afternoon I went to pick up my son and saw 3 girls standing on the curb. I was alone but blushed they were exposing so much flesh. They looked like street girls with such shirt sirts, heavy makeup and low cut halter tops. I thought to myself, "My gosh, who would let their dfaughters go out like that!". As I approached the curb I saw that it wasn't a group of high school girls at all. It was a group of mothers. These are the parents, these "coo" parents, the "hot" moms who are going to guide their kids into current and stylish but moderate dress? You see these women at every school and it's getting worse all the time. The kids' dress is only reflecting what's going on at home.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:17AM
Nancy Tellgmann said...Supposxly my P.S. is one of the best in the state,after 1 visit to all levels I announced to my mate , our kids are going private. The cursing, the emphases put on dress as well as ethinic & religion as well as Happiness first , education second for students. Forget it and they went Private all the way through with uniforms, manners were emphasised plus speech & student accountabity for learning. Both children were asked later did they mind uniforms= Answer No, in finals etc. we did not have to think " what to wear nor was any one judged on their clothes." Both got good grades ( accountability again Dam no feel good, get it done.) went to college, did grad school on own, Both very successful with many degrees and good lives. Both very accepting of all races and income levels. They learned Dress is approriate in certaing situations, but does not judge the person.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:15AM
Rae said...School has become another avenue to show off, make a statement, and sometimes lose your life over your clothing. Silly me -- and here I am thinking kids go to school for an education. Statistics have proven that schools that mandate uniforms have less problems -- fighting, social clicks, etc. Uniforms can be inexpensive such as khaki colored slacks and white (no logo) button down shirts.
I've come to realize the parents who protest things like a strict dress code, student getting kicked off the football team for failing grades, curfews do so because enforcing rules and such forces them to parent. Much easier to hand the kid $3 for lunch, their cell phone and ignore them until the next morning.
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8-27-2009 @ 10:03AM
rlnico4 said...Well said.
8-27-2009 @ 9:20AM
Gary said...I live in Richmond and the inmates run the prison. If you could see how some of the parents, protesting, are dressed and see their spelling and sentence structure you would see why the studets are running their mouths. The code goes overboard but I think some code should be in place so that students don't go to school looking like hoods and sluts. Is it asking too much to look neat and clean when going to school? It is a lot about rebellion against authority. But since RHS is a drop out factory, where many graduates can't read, spell or add and subtract, what do you expect.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:28AM
Jane said...Well, as a student, it seems to me that kids who care about doing well in school are going to try, and those who don't will not try as hard, regardless of the dress code. At my school, we have a dress code but it only covers common sense things like, "No profanity, or support of druges or alchohol," or, "Nothing sexually explicit." Kids use there brains and there are almost never any problems as far as the dress code goes.
At my school there are the over-achievers, the middle ground students, and those who don't do well at all, but very few drop out, and the same is true of the local (uniformed) private high school.
Another thing is that no one at my school gets made fun of for what they wear. If you were to do that everyone would just think that you are a petty, immature, jerk. I don't think that the adults who run our schools give the kids whho go there enough credit. If you're going to spend so much government money on our education, why not let us use that education while we're still in school? That might decrease the number of students failing because they will then see the poin of learning to write well, or learning the ins and outs of our government's laws and inner-workings.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:30AM
blissful said...I attended private school with a uniform for 12 years, and my 8 year old daughter is in her second year of private school. I can say with experience, that uniforms help educationally, and socially as well. If public school students would be required to wear a uniform, I am sure behavior would improve. It would also help socially. If a parent can't afford the best designer clothes for their kids, what student will know if they all wear uniforms? Kids can be terribly mean. Its one less divisive thing for kids to have to deal with.
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