School clothing rules should be abolished

School dress codes are an ongoing topic of debate between students and school leaders. On the one hand, students expect freedom of speech and identity; on the other, schools expect a certain level of humility and obedience.

Earlier this year, a Florida high school student said she was denied entry to prom for wearing a suit. On TikTok, a teen shared a post about the dress code in school, for no other reason than her well-developed body type. In Albany, members of the track team were disciplined for wearing sports bras during practice despite temperatures reaching 80 degrees. During the pandemic, students complained about teachers enforcing school dress codes even though classes were held virtually via Zoom.

These examples of excessive policing are not isolated—they appear to be primarily targeted at minority groups. A 2022 Government Accountability Office report found that school dress codes more frequently restrict what girls typically wear than boys. The report also found that 80% of predominantly black schools and more than 65% of predominantly Hispanic schools enforce strict dress codes. That compares with about a third of predominantly white schools.

A 2018 report showed that school dress codes can sexualize girls, especially Black girls, while often criminalizing boys of color. There is also disproportionate enforcement along racial and gender lines, with high rates of detentions and suspensions among these minority groups, the report found.

Shanieka Richard, a vice principal at a high school in California, explained that a typical high school dress code is that students are not allowed to wear anything that completely covers their heads, such as a hoodie or hat. Skirts and shorts must be fingertip length or longer, and vests or sleeveless tops must be no wider than three fingers at the shoulders. No saggy pants, no exposed midriff or back.

“Historically, dress codes were originally designed to integrate students into spaces they would not normally participate in, and as a result, many of our current dress code policies are sexist and, in some schools, racist.” Richard De admitted.

“It’s easy to trace the sexist and racist policies that continue to this day,” she continued.

“Historically, girls and students of color have not been allowed to attend school, and more recently, have not been allowed to attend the same schools as their white peers. For example, dress code policies regarding fingertip-length shorts or skirts and Policies on midriff exposure are geared specifically toward girls.

Richard said that as the school principal, if a student was wearing something that violated the dress code, she would simply ask if they had brought extra clothes or if they had a jacket to wear over the prohibited clothing. If they don’t, she allows students to call their parents and ask them to bring their clothes to school.

“I personally would not interrupt their class to address an untimely question unless it would severely disrupt other students or cause widespread concern among my staff,” she explained. “I try to explain to students why this particular dress is not allowed on campus, and I also tell them that if they think their dress code is wrong, they can express their opinion through the student leadership organization and the dress code can be changed. “Certain clothing should be allowed.

Educational disruption

For Julia Squartry, founder of Project Ruth, enforcement of dress codes often creates more adversarial relationships between school staff responsible for assessing students’ appearance and students. “Schools can actually function better without having to constantly remove students from class to force them to make changes, a process that often results in missed class time,” she believes.

She said she originally started Project Ruth in response to pervasive sexist dress codes in Florida high schools. “We have seen a wave of female and LGBTQIA+ students lose hours of class time and suffer emotional distress due to dress codes – often in public, shaming and judgmental ways.”

“In the nearly four years since, Project Ruth has received a litany of stories from students who have been shamed or scorned for their school’s dress code. Some even for something as simple as showing off their bra straps. or spaghetti straps, were called “whores” or “sluts” by school administrators.

“All of these rules disproportionately target female students, LGBTQIA+ students, and students of color — all of whom fall outside the traditional, outdated ideals of professionalism on which most dress codes are based,” she said.

Karl Alston, a professor in the School of Education/Women’s and Gender Studies at Syracuse University, believes that adults in schools are often very concerned with maintaining order and discipline. “They are looking for clear signs of social control and the lack of it. In a sense, dress codes (including uniforms) provide simple markers of conformity and ‘violation’.

While she believes schools should have some kind of dress code, she is generally opposed to codes that are too prescriptive. “I think there’s room for safety rules – such as wearing closed shoes in store classes. In some very specific cases, I think schools may need to ban gang-related accessories. Overall, I think there’s a The fewer rules the better.

Like Richard, Professor Alston agreed that school dress codes often focus on young women because, for thousands of years, women’s bodies have been seen as deviant and “tempting” in Western culture source.

“As someone who was in a school district that banned girls from wearing pants before we started the protest, I think the dress code is more for the comfort of adults than it is for students,” she said. For example, pants and skirts should be gender-inclusive.

“Fear of female temptation should not stop at clothing. Wherever there are actual behavioral disturbances, they should be addressed through inclusive principled rulemaking and student-teacher-administrator discussions to develop community standards,” she continued said.

Hair “Problems”

Clothing codes often purport to reinforce models of “professionalism” that are often defined by white masculinity and traditional forms of clothing. Because of this, clothing codes target items almost exclusively on the women’s side of clothing stores, or ban items such as saggy pants, rags and “distracting hair.”

Although hair has strong religious and cultural ties to many students, some schools have attempted to regulate it. In 2020, two Black students in Texas were suspended from school for wearing their natural hair in braids. Most recently, in August 2023, a black high school student in the same school district was suspended for wearing braids.

These discriminatory disciplinary incidents — including those that did not attract national attention — support the findings of a 2022 Government Accountability Office report, which noted that many dress codes contain provisions regarding hair that may have a negative impact on Black students and disproportionately affects students with certain religious beliefs.

“In my day, boy’s hair length was a cultural trigger; now it’s something different: like “colors not found in nature,” braids or other styles originating from the African diaspora, shaved heads/ Shapes and so on,” Professor Alston said.

“Inclusion is important; religious traditions and ethnic cultural expressions are often not protected by such rules. Things that people outside these traditions consider ‘neat’ or ‘clean’ or above the collar are often excluded and sometimes even Violent enforcement,” she continued.

In some states, legislation such as the CROWN Act has been passed making respect for natural hair a legal matter. Still, unraveling generations of entrenched policies will take time. Meanwhile, students are still being kicked out of class because of the way their hair grows or is styled.

Richard felt the same way. “Personally, I don’t think hair should be part of any dress code policy as it directly hinders these forms of self-expression. Currently, schools have policies in place regarding hairstyles and hair color to reduce disruption, however, If our first priority as educators is to prepare students for what they will encounter in life after school, then it is important that we train students to celebrate individuality rather than create policies that stifle individuality.