Restrictions on head coverings and certain hairstyles also raise significant concerns about religious and racial discrimination. Students of religious origin may wear a head covering or longer hairstyle for religious reasons, and public schools may not impose restrictions contrary to students` religious freedom. In one of the latest episodes, a viral video originally intended to teach students the dress code at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, drew sharp criticism last month for portraying only girls as rulebreakers. In St. Louis, the principal of Oakville High School is filmed apologizing to parents after telling students not to show off their bodies for fear of “disturbing” their male classmates. And a Roman Catholic school in New Orleans came under the spotlight of the internet when a Grade 6 student was forced to leave the classroom in tears for braiding hair extensions that violated the school`s hair policy. Released in April, it examines the experiences of 21 black girls who attend or have attended 12 schools in the District of Columbia, including charter schools, and analyzes data on student discipline across the district. Kelsey Anderson, 17, was wearing a red blouse and jeans when she was reportedly asked to leave the classroom after her teacher said she violated her school`s dress code by being “busty” and “plus size.” When a student arrives at school with clothing prohibited by the dress code or DOE policy: In one-on-one interviews, all girls reported experiencing or witnessing the application of the dress code in their schools. Common penalties for these violations included missed class time or suspension due to hairstyles, makeup, or clothing styles deemed inappropriate. Since the report was released, two of the schools have made changes to their dress codes. Her principal then told her that she didn`t need to take her photo again and asked her to be part of a team of students who would review the dress code.
Click here for a handy fact sheet outlining your rights regarding dress codes and school care policies, gender identity and self-expression. Share this and our latest podcast episode with a friend! “The school didn`t collapse, education continued, and students didn`t become more disrespectful,” Witherspoon said. “We have students of all races, all body forms, all gender expressions and all backgrounds, and what`s great is that they can now express themselves.” Assistant principal at Tom C. Clark High School in San Antonio, Texas, reportedly told Sophia Abuabara, 17, to call her mother to bring a change of clothes because her t-shirt dress violated the school`s dress code, which requires no more than four inches between the end of a dress and knees. While some schools have responded to dress code controversies with a more lenient dress code or by switching to uniforms, others, like Alameda High School in California and Evanston Township High School in Illinois, have instead decided to completely reform their codes. In recent months, controversies have developed on the internet about schools` dress codes, sparking controversy over whether schools enforce the rules in a way that discriminates against girls. The new dress code was introduced last school year and, according to Witherspoon, the school has not received any negative comments. A flood of social media posts raises questions of justice about schools` enforcement of dress codes: dress codes must be implemented equally and without discrimination.
Schools must ensure that all staff, students and parents are informed in writing about the dress code, students` rights with respect to their clothing, and the consequences for students who wear clothing that violates the dress code. Lizzy Martinez, a student at Braden River High School in Bradenton, Florida, went to school wearing a gray long-sleeved t-shirt without a bra because she didn`t want wearers to get a bad sunburn. She said she was later removed from the classroom because she distracted male students when a boy laughed and told her friends she was not wearing a bra. The Supreme Court has recognized that public school students “do not give up their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the school door.” The First Amendment prohibits schools from choosing the opinions that students are allowed to express. All views should be treated equally as long as they are not obscene or disturbing. This means that if a school allows items such as t-shirts with slogans, buttons or bracelets, it must allow them, regardless of the message they express. Here are nine outfits that schools say violated their dress code – and how the students wearing them reacted. “It is undisputed that this case should have been treated differently at the school level,” Mitchell Teitelbaum, general counsel for the Manatee County School District, previously wrote in a statement to INSIDER.
“Corrective measures have been taken to prevent these issues from happening again in the future.” The school`s acting principal, Marvin Jones, apologized for the incident. A seventh-grade student at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School told Fox 5 DC that school officials tricked her into covering her torn jeans, which violated the dress code, with tape. The student told his mother that the ribbon had burned his skin, but his mother said the school did not contact her to tell her to bring a change of clothes. Does your school have a dress code that treats people differently based on gender, race or other protected characteristics? Let us know by filling out this form. In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that when it comes to the school`s dress code, “students do not lose their constitutional rights at school doors.” But the struggle between the policies of the school administration and the individuality of students continues. The school issued a statement to Yahoo Style stating, “The purpose of our dress code is to ensure that students dress and groom themselves cleanly, cleanly and modestly so as not to distract or disrupt the school`s educational environment.