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5 Things Public Schools Can and Can't Do When it Comes to Dress Codes

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5 Things Public Schools Can and Can't Do When it Comes to Dress Codes

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As listed in the article, these are 5 guidelines that public schools have to follow when making their dress code polices. In the past however, some schools made it hard for students to dress how they wanted. Whether it was showing too much skin or showing off their way of style from their culture, students were punished heavily for doing so.

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Last week, a school principal and security guard threatened a senior named Summer at Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, North Carolina, with arrest for violating her school dress code because she was wearing a shirt that showed her collarbone and shoulders. Defiant, she spoke out - protesting the discipline and refusing to budge until the principal called her mom - though she did put on a jacket. After the school suspended her, threatened her with expulsion, and barred her from walking in graduation, many of her classmates protested her treatment on social media - and the case blew up in the press.

Such nonsense isn't confined to North Carolina.

The same week, a Massachusetts' charter school made headlines for penalizing two African-American sisters for violating their school dress code by wearing their hair in braids with extensions. The state attorney general has ordered the school to modify its policy, and the ACLU, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights have jointly filed a complaint with the state education department on her behalf. And a similar case just arose in Florida, where a student, Jenesis Johnson, was told her Afro was "extreme and faddish and out of control" and told she could not return to school unless she changed her hairstyle.

These cases are the latest examples of schools drawing mounting protest - and even legal action - based on their dress codes. Yet dress codes are ubiquitous, which may leave you wondering where the line is between a permissible dress code and unlawful discrimination. The short answer is that while public schools are allowed to have dress codes and uniform policies, they cannot be discriminatory or censor student expression.

Here are a few of the basics on what public schools can and can't do when it comes to dress codes.

Dress codes can't be explicitly discriminatory. That means that while dress codes may specify types of attire that are acceptable, these requirements should not differ based on students' sex or their race, for that matter - though race distinctions in dress codes tend not to be overt. This is because, under federal laws protecting against discrimination in education, Title IX and the Constitution's equal protection guarantee, schools can't base either a dress code or its enforcement on sex stereotypes - generalizations about what types of clothing or appearance are appropriate for a boy or a girl. For example, a dress code can't require girls, and only girls, to only wear skirts or dresses and boys, and only boys, to wear pants or a jacket and tie. The same goes for ceremonial events and special occasions, like prom, yearbook photographs, or graduation. A school can specify "formal attire," or even "gowns or tuxedoes," but it can't require that girls, and only girls, wear gowns or that boys, and only boys, wear a tux.

All students, whether transgender or cisgender, must be allowed to wear clothing consistent with their gender identity and expression. Again, this is because the clothing we wear is part of the way we express our identity and because schools can't stereotype students' appearance or behavior based on their gender or sex assigned at birth.

Dress codes that are targeted at or unevenly enforced against particular groups of students may violate laws prohibiting race and sex discrimination. Dress codes are frequently unevenly enforced against girls for wearing clothing that is considered a "distraction" to boys in the classroom - reinforcing stereotypes about how "good girls" dress and privileging boys' ability to concentrate over girls' comfort and ability to learn.

Though today's dress codes are unlikely to be explicitly race-based, there can also be stark racial overtones. The Malden policy - in addition to prohibiting hair extensions, a style predominantly worn by Black girls - also prohibits "hair more than 2 inch (sic.) in thickness or height." The policy thus effectively prohibits many Black students of either sex from wearing their hair "naturally" without cutting it extremely short - making it abundantly clear which students the school is concerned about distracting versus being distractions. This type of intersecting race and sex discrimination is illegal.

Schools can't discriminate based on the viewpoint expressed by your clothing. The Supreme Court has recognized that public school students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." The First Amendment prohibits schools from picking and choosing which views students are allowed to express. All views have to be treated equally, so long as they are not obscene or disruptive. This means that if a school permits items like t-shirts with slogans, buttons, or wristbands, it has to permit them no matter what message they express.

Grooming codes regulating hair length, jewelry, or ear piercing can raise many of the same issues, though the courts have been less consistent about applying antidiscrimination laws in those contexts. For this reason, protections may vary greatly based on where you live. Note also that school dress or grooming codes may have to be adapted when they conflict with students' religious freedom, such as prohibiting headscarves.

What this boils down to is that schools' authority to impose dress codes is not unlimited. Students should be informed of their rights so they can speak out if there are violations. And school administrators would do well to reexamine their dress codes to guard against being the next target for protest, whether in the classroom, on the internet, or in court.
Click for a handy fact sheet outlining your rights related to school dress codes, gender, and self-expression.

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5 Things Public Schools Can and Can't Do When It Comes to Dress Codes

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Last week, a school principal and security guard threatened a senior named Summer at Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, North Carolina, with arrest for violating her school dress code because she was wearing a shirt that showed her collarbone and shoulders.

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What Purpose Does Your Dress Code Serve? Why Inclusive School Policies Matter?

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What Purpose Does Your Dress Code Serve? Why Inclusive School Policies Matter?

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I like how this article points out that dress codes sends the message that students who don't come from the (pro-dominantly) white background, they don't belong in schools because that is essentially the case. IT is also mentioned that when schools can't provide a "safe and supportive learning environment" for students that their efforts on teaching students how to have a mindset that doesn't discriminate based on any identity is no longer of use.

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When Tvli Birdshead, a senior at an Oklahoma high school was denied the freedom to wear his Native American regalia to graduation this spring, he decided to fight back. After all, the clothing is considered a cultural rite of passage in his tribes and family.
**UPDATE: In May 2019, Tvli was unanimously approved by the Latta school board to wear his Sacred Regalia to graduation, and a new policy was amended and put in place to allow other Native American students to wear their religious and sacred regalia if presented one month in advance of graduation. Kudos to his mother and the ACLU for not letting this case be swept under the rug.
"It's against the dress code" is one of those answers we are often told to accept at face value. Students are often told their attire is "inappropriate," and that this is a matter of self-discipline and character, even being sent home on the basis that what they are wearing is disrespectful. But we rarely question what purpose these rules serve, who these rules exclude, and how these rules impact students' mental and emotional well-being. It's high time we start.

Dress codes like this are abundant and are too often used to promote race and sex discrimination, sending the message that students who come from diverse backgrounds do not belong in school, that their cultural backgrounds are to be left outside of their educational experiences, and that they must conform to dominant (mostly White) cultural expectations in order to succeed in school.

These policies directly undermine the work that many district and school leaders are doing to advance what's called social-emotional learning, which focuses on teaching students how to regulate their behavior and emotions (known as self-management) and positive mindsets (such as self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability to achieve goals and succeed at tasks). There is mounting evidence that social-emotional learning has positive effects on academics, well-being, and career outcomes. But when schools don't create the safe and supportive learning environments that students need (i.e., ones that don't discriminate based on race, culture, sexual orientation and/or gender), those efforts to teach social emotional skills and mindsets are likely to be wasted. It is therefore imperative that schools revisit a wide range of policies, such as dress codes, that often further marginalize students.

There are a number of scholars who insist that we must use a racial equity lens to ensure that social-emotional learning does not harm students of color, students from low-income families, and immigrant youth. There are also some ill-informed arguments that we must not "settle" for inclusivity and instead should focus on teaching character and self-discipline. This argument is misguided. Inclusivity is not settling; it is necessary to create schools that work for the racially and culturally diverse students in this country - with school systems that help all students to grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Not only does the research show the importance of ensuring students - especially students from historically marginalized backgrounds - feel that they belong in school, but that such students are often sent messages that they don't belong through exclusionary discipline policies and codes of conduct based in Eurocentric ideas of how to behave. Merely focusing on teaching students to "behave better" will not get at the systemic injustices that punish students for behavior that is culturally appropriate according to their experiences and backgrounds.

And in fact, without careful attention to knocking down systemic barriers to inclusivity in schools, efforts to promote social-emotional learning in individual students could do more harm than good. Discriminatory policies in schools have a direct impact on the social and emotional well-being of students. When school administrations unjustly discriminate against students, yet adopt behavioral interventions meant to teach students to manage their emotions and behaviors, they are sending harmful messages that students are responsible for systemic injustices. When school systems exclude students who don't conform to dominant cultural norms, they are failing to encourage students to believe in their abilities to achieve goals and succeed at tasks.

"Wearing these things is acknowledging that this is the step to a higher education," told the local news. "Wearing these things just have a whole different meaning to me." If the dress code policy is hindering this symbolic connection and recognition of achievement, it is doing a disservice to the students involved. Teaching students the social-emotional skills that are shown to have positive impacts, such as self-management and self-efficacy, will only work if schools are providing safe, equitable, culturally sustaining learning environments where all students are accepted, engaged, celebrated, and have the opportunity to thrive.

So no, inclusivity isn't something to settle for; it's what we must first address if social-emotional learning is to benefit all students. Inclusivity is the foundation upon which pedagogy, curriculum choices, discipline policies, community engagement, and other educational decisions must be made, and will in turn ensure we are not settling for teaching students to self-discipline and assimilate, but instead creating safe learning environments were all students are accepted, engaged, celebrated, and have the opportunity to thrive in schools.

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What Purpose Does Your Dress Code Serve? Why Inclusive School Policies Matter - The Education Trust

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When Tvli Birdshead, a senior at an Oklahoma high school was denied the freedom to wear his Native American regalia to graduation this spring, he decided to fight back. After all, the clothing is considered a cultural rite of passage in his tribes and family.

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This article states that the purpose for dress codes is so that school districts can "promote learning, safety and image." It makes me wonder though, who decided that having a dress code was a way to promote those things? Were there not other ways that a school can improve in those areas? Even the research study that was mentioned can to the conclusion that there was no correlation of having uniforms and a dress code affected a student's academic performance. So why have them? Having a dress code seemed to be more of a headache for teachers, students, and administrators than anything.

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Dress codes are typically set by schools and employers. Though dress codes face First Amendment challenges by students and others, courts generally support schools and employers.

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After reading this article, there are some things that I agree with, and learned about when it comes to the pros and cons of having a dress code in schools. Some pros that I agree with is identifying potential strangers, it makes it easier for students to get ready for the day (I would be rich if I got a dollar for every time I took hours to figure out what I wanted to wear to school for the day), and it can save families money when it comes to a uniform. There were definitely more cons that I agreed with though.

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Clothing is one of the primary ways that students express their personalities and ideas when attending school. It can also be a way to show off the wealth of their family, express gang representation, or create inflammatory situations in an educational environment because of the graphics or words shared. That is why many schools in the United States and around the world struggle with the idea of a school dress code.

When there is a strict dress code policy enforced at individual schools or across an entire district, then those actions may interfere directly with the student's right to self-expression in some countries. Although most governments allow the local school board the authority to create, enforce, or avoid dress code programs, these policies cannot be instituted if they violate student rights.

The first school dress code law in the United States became active in 1969 after Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District allowed educational institutions to limit student expression if there are legitimate concerns that such an activity becomes disruptive to the learning environment. This incident involves several high school students wearing dark armbands to school as a planned protest against the Vietnam War.

A school dress code must balance the need to provide a safe educational environment with the freedom of speech granted to students in most developed nations.

List of the Pros of a School Dress Code

1. It allows students to focus on the educational environment instead of their clothing.
The goal of a school dress code is to create more equality within the student body. When you have a similar style being worn by everyone, then you can set the tone for the atmosphere in your school, on campus, or throughout the school district. This structure gives each child an opportunity to focus more on their studies because the visual discrepancies in socioeconomic status are much fewer. When students feel safe, then the information presented to them for learning can remain more relevant.

2. It reduces the amount of teasing that occurs in the classroom.
When dress codes were implemented in New York City, 68% of parents participating in the program said that their children experienced a general increase in their academic performance. 88% even said that there was reduced teasing between boys and girls because the policy promoted equality throughout the classroom. A vast majority of students also report that they like wearing clothes that are associated with a school dress code, which reduces the amount of tension experienced when trying to get ready for school.

3. It makes it easier for students to get ready for the school day.
When there is a clear school dress code available to follow, then there are fewer decisions for students to make when they are getting ready for the day. If a uniform is mandatory, then there are a handful of color options and clothing styles available that can be worn when in the classroom. You save time when shopping for these items as well because there are only a handful of choices available. Although the cost of new clothes can be a significant expense, the amount of time that parents and kids save when shopping for school apparel can help to offset some of that issue.

4. It offers the potential for hand-me-down clothes in some families.
When a school district offers a consistent dress code policy to follow, then families can save some money on their apparel needs because the uniform or mandated clothing can pass down from one child to the next. When you add this advantage to the opportunities for donated or low-cost items through the PTA and other local organizations, you can avoid the expense of purchasing new items for everyone each year. There will still be some challenges to face since you'll be storing more clothes for the year in your closets, but the issues tend to be more organizational than financial for many families.

5. It reduces the number of distractions that are present in the classroom.
As children get older, they begin to pay attention to each other more than they do to the curriculum. Clothing choices can make this problem even worse. If the apparel shows off the body, encourages violence, or creates other distractions, then it can impact the performance of every student in the classroom. By creating an effective policy that limits these issues, grades can go up, violence levels can begin to go down, and if there is a lack of branding as part of the school dress code, it can even reduce problems with economic envy.

"A dress code promotes a more serious school atmosphere which emphasizes academics and promotes good behavior," published Kosher Casual. "Dress codes have proven to increase student achievement by encouraging students to concentrate more on their studies and less on their wardrobe. A de-emphasis on clothing can also save money, as there will be less pressure to keep up with expensive trends.

6. It does not need to be a uniform to create environmental benefits.
When you have a school dress code policy in place, then you have several options available to you that do not necessarily include uniforms. The goal with this option is to create consistency while on campus without being too intrusive on the rights of the individual. You want to allow self-expression in healthy, positive ways while encouraging negative viewpoints to be offered in a manner that is appropriate for the environment.

When this advantage occurs, then it can create a sense of community in the school. Kids find it easier to make friends because there are no artificial barriers in place that suggest it isn't possible. This loyalty extends well beyond the school years, with alumni from the district often coming together with their children to support the learning process.

7. It allows the community to recognize students for their age.
Because some schools require a specific uniform to be worn when attending classes, any movement with this apparel on in the community identifies that individual as being in the K-12 system (or whatever grade levels are present in the family's specific school). This requirement makes it easier to identify who might be underage when purchasing a restricted item, such as cold medicine, alcohol, or tobacco products. Teachers can also use this advantage to pick out which kids are their responsibility because they will all be dressed alike.

Some students will try to get around this issue by wearing clothing under their uniform or packing a bag with alternative apparel. Because both decisions can still be controlled by the school dress code policy, it becomes easier to see who might be trying to break the rules.

8. It can help school administrators identify potential strangers on campus.
There were 82 school shooting incidents in 2018, which is the most there have ever been since 1970. Since statistics were first kept in this area in that year, there have been 1,300 total incidents. The next closest year was 2006 when there were 59 incidents. Over 50 kids, teachers, and administrators were killed at their school during 2018 because of this issue. When students must wear specific clothing items, it becomes easier to know who is supposed to be on campus and those who should not be around.

About 50% of the incidents which occur in the United States involve an individual who is not a current student at the school. Knowing who is coming and who is going can help someone stop an incident before it has a chance to start.

9. It is a policy which can save families some money when it includes a uniform.
The average cost for a school uniform is about $30 in most markets, with some families seeing some significant local savings. Pants and skirts are usually in the $17 range, while the shirts or tops are about $13 each. For the price of one designer outfit, the average family can purchase three uniform outfits that can be worn during the week. Then a shift in the routine to do a load of laundry during the week before doing it all on the weekend can help to manage the overall expense of this issue.

Families who rely on thrift stores, donations, and gifts for their school clothing will still struggle with the cost of a dress code policy. When funds are tight, it is usually easier to find clothes that match the regulations without paying for expensive brands.

10. It creates a disciplined atmosphere.
Students and families must follow a disciplined routine to ensure that they are in compliance with a school's dress code. By creating this expectation before a child ever steps into the classroom, it becomes easier to apply the lessons learned with this advantage in other areas of their life. Some children find it easier to plan for their future career, work on their homework assignments, and even make new friends because they made the choice to be in compliance with this policy, even if it was something that they didn't agree with in the first place.

11. It can stop gangs, cliques, or unhealthy social groups from forming.
Students of a specific age typically rebel against rules of some type. Since a school dress code seeks to create unity through equality, it can stop unhealthy cliques from forming on campus. When one social group believes they are superior to another one, then the foundation for bullying starts. That is often there are proactive interventions with uniforms or restrictions on clothing items in the first place.

List of the Cons of a School Dress Code

1. It creates another expense that parents must pay, even if they cannot afford the cost.
A school dress code can require parents to follow a specific uniform that their children must abide by when on school grounds. Although most policies only place limits on lewd, graphic, vulgar, or suggestive clothing, there are times when a public school district can require a uniform to be worn. When students must dress a specific way using particular clothing items, then the parents (not the school district) bear the responsibility for the expense. Even if there are scholarships, grants, or hand-me-down opportunities available, some households cannot afford this expense.

Catherine Pearlman had this issue happen with her daughter Casey, so her response to an issue with the school's dress code was that they could go find the clothing themselves. "I'd schedule a few afternoons and weekends for this endeavor," she wrote. "I can tell you from experiencing that just heading to the mall, Target, and the outlets won't cut it.

2. It forces households to do laundry much more often.
Let's say that you have a family of six at home and all four children in the household go to school where there is a uniform policy in place. Instead of wearing the school clothes all day, the kids will change when they return home to prevent ruining the items. That means you face double the laundry problems at home each week because of the requirement to follow a school dress code. Since your local district isn't going to compensate you for this extra utility cost, this disadvantage can offset any cost advantage that households might try to find. Over 40% of your utility expenses can come from this one chore in some communities.

3. It creates the potential for a gender bias.
When students have permission to dress the same way no matter what their gender identity or expression may be, then it can create a sense of unity for the classroom. Far too often, the goal of a school dress code is to limit boys to slacks and girls to skirts, which can create conflict with the administrative staff of the school. These traditional garments are not always the preference of this generation. Some girls prefer to wear slacks, while boys would appreciate the benefit of shorts.

If a student is unsure of where they stand on the gender spectrum, then forcing the child to conform to a specific role offers the potential of educational harm for the student in the future. Tori DiPaolo went viral with her yearbook photo in 2017 with the quote she included underneath it: "I'm sorry, did my shoulders distract you from reading this quote?"

4. It won't eliminate all of the teasing that happens at school.
Kids will find a way to differentiate themselves from one another. Even when a school wants clothing items without brand identification on it, most classmates know which families can spend more on items than others. There are the children who receive discounted school lunches, those who always bring a sack lunch, and then those who pay for a hot meal during the day as well. Even the difference in shoe brands can be enough to create enough socioeconomic differences between students to become a teasing issue.

Then there are all of the physical differences that can start teasing and bullying that a school dress code or uniform cannot cover. It might lessen problems in this area, but the policy cannot stop it 100% of the time.

5. It may create a poor reputation for some schools or districts.
Students who must wear a specific dress code become a reflection of the reputation of that school. When they cause trouble in their community when wearing a uniform, the school's colors, or some other item associated with the institution, then it can begin to give the district, administrators, and teachers a poor reputation. Should enough of these incidents occur involving groups of kids or families from the same area, then it can reduce enrollments in future years. This disadvantage occurs frequently when there are school voucher programs, waivers, or transfer opportunities available to families.

This disadvantage can occur because of the actions of the school as well. Kelsey Anderson was reportedly told to leave her classroom because her teacher said that she was "plus size" and "busty," which was distracting to the other students. Not only is this issue a body shaming concern, the incident could lead to potential legal action.

6. It forces the kids to wear clothing options which are not fashionable.
School uniforms create conformity by sacrificing usability. Many of the apparel choices involve institutional branding in some way. They are usually composed of bright colors, often representing the school as well, and made from tough canvas to promote better wear and tear. This design element creates an outcome where the students might not mind wearing the clothing when they go to the classroom, but then they get out of the apparel once they get back home. It is not unusual for kids to split their day into "school clothes" and "after-school clothes," which can impact how they approach their day.

7. It can cause teasing and bullying outside of the district.
If students must wear a uniform or follow a strict dress code policy as part of their learning experience, then it is not unusual for them to experience bullying and teasing when they are out in the community. Some schools, even if they are in the same district, do not follow the same standards or policies when it relates to what the kids can wear to the classroom. You might find more opportunities for unity on school grounds, but head out into the community and the story can be very different.

8. It can be enforced punitively, indiscriminately, or through the bias of an administrator.
A seventh-grader was asked to cover up a t-shirt that she wore to school that said, "Why be racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic when you could just be quiet?" Her teacher reportedly claimed that the text was offensive. A high school girl was given an in-school suspension for wearing torn clothing, and when confronted the staff told her mother that "she needed to consider the guys in her class and their hormones when choosing her wardrobe."

Then there was the high school principal in South Carolina who told students not to wear leggings unless the girls were a size 0 or a size 2. When there is an ambiguous dress code policy in place for a school that is based on personal bias for implementation, then it creates a circumstance where the only people the regulations benefit or those who are enforcing it on the kids.

A Final Thought on the Pros and Cons of a School Dress Code

A school dress code will typically follow common-sense rules that work to maintain the overall learning environment. Shorts might need to go to the knee, while t-shirts shouldn't have anything vulgar on them - such as swear words or verbiage that could contribute to violence on campus. Some schools will take this idea a step further to create a uniform policy that creates more equality in the classroom.

The only problem with a dress code is that it leads to the policing of students when they arrive at school each day. Administrators monitoring the clothing, and then punish anyone who does not follow it to the letter. There may be benefits to the learning process when there is more equality, but those advantages might wash out when the adults try to enforce the rules aggressively.

The pros and cons of a school dress code work to offer a balance that encourages healthy learning while still offering personal choices whenever possible. With some proactive efforts to resolve the potential disadvantages, most families can manage the issue in positive ways.

Author Bio
Natalie Regoli is a child of God, devoted wife, and mother of two boys. She has a Master's Degree in Law from The University of Texas. Natalie has been published in several national journals and has been practicing law for 18 years.

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Clothing is one of the primary ways that students express their personalities and ideas when attending school. It can also be a way to show off the wealth of their family, express gang representation, or

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Do School Dress Codes Discriminate Against Girls?

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Do School Dress Codes Discriminate Against Girls?

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For as long as I can remember it, the reason for why some dress codes were made was for the reason of "female students should not show off their bodies for fear of 'distracting' male classmates." I always asked myself, "Why is how we dress so distracting to male students? What if what they are wearing distracts us? Why are we being humiliated for expressing ourselves? Why do female students have to suffer missing class time or suspension because how they looked was 'too inappropriate?"

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School dress-code controversies have been trending on the web in recent months, fanning a controversy over whether schools are enforcing the rules in ways that discriminate against girls.

In one of the latest episodes, a viral video initially meant to instruct students on the dress-code policy at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, drew intense criticism last month for depicting only girls as rule violators. In St. Louis, Oakville High School's principal is captured on video apologizing to parents after telling female students they should not show off their bodies for fear of "distracting" male classmates. And a Roman Catholic school in New Orleans came into the internet spotlight when a 6th grader was forced to leave the classroom, in tears, for having braided hair extensions, which were against the school's hair policy.

Schools with strict dress codes often claim that such regulations prevent in-class distractions, create a workplace-like environment, reduce pressures based on socioeconomic status, and deter gang activity. However, in an age of #MeToo and easy internet access, controversy is increasingly cropping up over whether excluding students from the classroom for violating dress codes is worthwhile, and whether such rules are disproportionately enforced against girls, and especially those of color.

The website Change.org now says it's hosting more than 400 open petitions against individual school dress codes. The majority have been created by students, and many of the petitions' titles assert that their schools' dress codes are sexist or unfairly enforced.

"These rules aren't neutral: many target girls, and especially black girls, by regulating skirt length and headwraps," a report on school dress codes in the District of Columbia that was compiled by the National Women's Law Center states. "And the rules aren't applied equally, either. Students report that black girls, and especially curvier students, are disproportionately targeted."

Lost learning time

Nationwide, 53 percent of public schools enforced a strict dress code during the 2015-16 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But, data on who's being punished for dress-code violations and how the penalties are being meted out are harder to come by. The study by the NWLC takes a rare quantifiable look at the issue.

Released in April, it examines the experiences of 21 black girls who attend or attended 12 District of Columbia schools, including charter schools, and analyzes districtwide student-discipline data.

In the one-on-one interviews, all of the girls reported experiencing or witnessing dress-code enforcement in their schools. Common punishments for those violations included missing class time or facing suspension, as a result of hair, makeup, or clothing styles that were deemed inappropriate. Since the report's release, two of the schools have made changes to their dress policies.

"[Dress codes] sit at that intersection where they impact girls differently; they impact black girls differently," said Nia Evans, the NWLC's manager of campaign and digital strategies and education. "And when you add discipline to it, it's really a disaster."

The concern is that students who may already be struggling academically fall farther behind in class when they miss too much time serving suspensions, changing clothes, or waiting while administrators measure their skirt lengths. Nationwide, African-American girls are 5.5 times more likely than their white counterparts to be suspended from school, but it's not clear what proportion of those punishments stem from dress-code issues.

Adrienne Dixson, a professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, believes dress codes can prevent self-expression among students. Additionally, girls of color, who are more likely to wear styles such as braids, hair extensions, and Afros, are more likely to be disciplined, as the Louisiana 6th grader was.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, dress codes are legal as long as they do not "treat boys and girls differently, force students to conform to sex stereotypes, or censor particular viewpoints." (This includes protection for transgender, non-binary gender, or any other students who may choose to dress in nontraditional ways.)

In some cases, the protests from students and parents are making an impact.

Victoria Schantz was a senior last year when the Women's Empowerment Club at Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisc., decided to take on the district's dress code.

Schantz, who posted about the protest on the ACLU's website, readily joined in, remembering feeling objectified by her teachers after having been pulled out of class for her clothing, given temporary clothes, and sent home to change on multiple occasions. One day, after being sent home twice-once for wearing a shirt deemed inappropriate and a second time for wearing leggings and a baggy shirt-the school called her mother to tell her that Schantz would have to spend the rest of the day completing her classwork alone in the office.

After reviewing 3,000 petition signatures and discussing the issue at six board meetings and two working sessions, the board agreed with Schantz's club and created a more lenient dress code, which will be implemented this year. Changes include allowing students to wear yoga pants and leggings.

Schools' responses

Like the Kenosha district, many of the schools that have found themselves in the internet spotlight so far this year have issued apologies or scaled back their dress-code policies.

Marcus High School's principal admitted that the video, which was an alternative for the annual fashion show that informs students of appropriate attire, "absolutely missed the mark" by featuring only girls. Oakville High School's principal apologized to parents at an open house for her comments about girls distracting boys, promising that she will issue a similar apology to students during the school day; however, an official public statement had not been released as of press time.

Following a lawsuit brought against Christ the King Parish School by the Louisiana 6th grader's family, the policy prohibiting hair extensions has been rescinded.

While some schools have responded to dress-code controversies with a more lenient dress code or by switching to uniforms, others, such as Alameda High School in California and Evanston Township High School in Illinois, decided instead to reform their codes completely.

The new dress code in Evanston begins by stating that it "supports equitable educational access" and "does not reinforce stereotypes." The code outlines that students cannot wear clothes that depict hate speech, illegal items, or profanity; clothes that reveal undergarments (aside from visible straps or waistbands); and accessories that could be considered dangerous.

Essentially, students must wear a shirt, pants, dress, or skirt, and shoes, all of which do not pose a threat to another student or staff member. Everything else is fair game.

"We wanted students to know that your body is your body, and we want you to feel proud and comfortable in your own skin," said Superintendent Eric Witherspoon, who helped reform the dress code.

The new dress code was implemented this past school year and, according to Witherspoon, the school has not received any negative feedback.

"The school did not fall apart, education kept going on, and students did not become more disrespectful," Witherspoon said. "We have students of all different races, body shapes, gender expressions, and backgrounds, and the great thing is that they now are able to express themselves."

Social media posts raise equity questions about dress codes

A flurry of social media posts raise equity questions about schools' enforcement of dress codes:

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Do School Dress Codes Discriminate Against Girls?

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A spate of viral videos is sparking questions about whether school dress code policies unfairly single out girls.

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Is it Necessary For Schools to Enforce Dres Codes For Remote Learning? 

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Is it Necessary For Schools to Enforce Dres Codes For Remote Learning? 

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I didn't even know this was a thing until I came across this article. How in the world can school across the US still make dress code a priority when school is online? Students are in their own homes. Should they not get the right to be comfortable in the place that they live? I know I already never feel like dressing up when I have online classes, so I can only imagine some kids in K-12 probably are lazy to have to change or "dress nicely" because it is part of policy.

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Pandemic or not, students have always been frustrated with their schools' strict and unfair dress codes. At some schools, camouflage isn't allowed, while at other schools students can't wear certain graphic t-shirts or tank tops with thin straps. At its dress codes are put in place to ensure students are focusing more on learning than what they're wearing. It also aims to create a more serious and professional learning experience.

While dress codes generally have good intentions, more often than not that they can be discriminatory, and can taint the learning experience. The dress code debate gets especially heated when it comes to the way female students are treated in relation to their clothing. Students have been made to feel like objects after being suspended over a skirt which was seen as too short by school administration.

This issue becomes further complicated given the intersection of race and gender. When Black girls are though to have broken the dress code they are punished more harshly than their white peers. Not only does this make the learning experience a negative one, but also disrupts their education when Black girls are suspended or expelled over attire.

The district would prefer that students sit at a desk or table and made it a rule that students have to be sitting up out of bed. Students will only attend in-person classes two times out of the week once the school year begins on August 31st. They claim that the online dress code policy has been put in place to ensure that remote learning is taken as seriously as in-person.

Not to mention that if someone is distracted by their classmate wearing a tank top on Zoom, they may have bigger issues to worry about.
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Is it necessary for schools to enforce dress codes for remote learning?

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Pandemic or not, students have always been frustrated with their schools' strict and unfair dress codes. At some schools, camouflage isn't allowed, while at other schools students can't wear certain graphic t-shirts or tank tops with thin straps. At its dress codes are put in place to ensure students are focusing more on learning than what they're wearing.