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Sometimes I worry about whether or not I should keep my nose piercing in while being at a school. I then think about why I am there, and that is to educate. There is no correlation with a gem in my nose, and if a school wouldn't hire me for it I wouldn't want to work there anyways. The same goes for my tattoos, and I think they are expressive and unique.

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Younger female students made a viral video and a trending sensation over dress code violations. They are taking their opinions to Twitter, making them go viral and forcing change in the schools

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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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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.

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Sophomore Hasana Alidu was removed from her class by two school police officers. She received in class suspension and her mother had to pick her up from school. She had to miss out on class for this issue of her shoulders being shown. She is also from North Valley High School.

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A sophomore from North Valley says the policies are sexist and the male students rarely get Dress Coded.

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CLOSE
This story has been updated to include that the Washoe County School District did not respond to multiple attempts for comment Tuesday.
Students watched as two police officers followed Hasana Alidu to the office at North Valleys High School during lunch period on Feb 13.

Hasana has been told once already to pull up the sleeves of her black shirt because showing shoulders is a violation of the Washoe County School District's dress code policy. Instead, the 16-year-old sophomore put on her coat. She didn't take the warning seriously.

"What I wear is how I express myself," she said.

But after sweating in gym class, she took off her coat, again showing her bare shoulders, as she sat on a staircase during lunch.

North Valleys High School sophomore Hasana Alidu shows the outfit she was wearing at school on Feb. 13, 2019 when she was escorted by school police to the office for being in violation of the dress code policy. (Photo11: Provided to the RGJ)

The same teacher who had reprimanded her earlier saw her and called over two school police officers, Hasana said. The three of them escorted Hasana to the office.

Her mother was called and Hasana had an in-school suspension, missing Spanish class to sit in the office.

Those events last week are why some students are organizing a shoulder-baring protest at the school in North Reno on Wednesday.

Other schools across the country have faced similar backlash for policies that forbid bare shoulders.

In 2017, an Illinois high school student started a successful online petition after a principal tried to force her to retake a senior picture because her shoulders were showing.

Students in an Arkansas high school have also tried to garner attention for dress codes policies using the tag #passtheskirt after a student was singled out for a short skirt that another student wore the next day without getting in trouble.

Students have alleged that dress code policies target minority girls.

A 2018 report by the National Women's Law Center that focused on Washington, D.C., public high schools found that "black girls are routinely shamed, pulled out of class, and sometimes suspended simply for how they look."

The group advocates for policies and laws that promote equality for women.

The Washoe County School District did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Tuesday, including questions about why the dress code includes a ban on bare shoulders.

Spokesperson Victoria Campbell sent a copy of the policy that states, "The dress or grooming of all students must not present potential health or safety problems or cause distractions."

"Our shoulders shouldn't be sexualized" said Marina Johnson, who helped organize Wednesday's protest.

Buy Photo

North Valleys High School sophomore Marina Johnson poses for a portrait in her home in Cold Springs on Feb. 15, 2019. (Photo11: Jason Bean/RGJ)

Marina, a sophomore, said she watched as Hasana got in trouble for what she was wearing.

"The school district's policies are sexist," she said of rules that ban miniskirts, cleavage and spaghetti straps.

She and Hasana say other students were wearing much more revealing outfits that day but did not get in trouble.

"I walked by and saw students in similar outfits," Hasana said.

Hasana and Marina say it's rare to see a male student get in trouble for wearing a muscle shirt, and those who enforce the policies seem to target girls who have more curves.

Ronnie Smith Jr., who plans to protest on Wednesday, said he is wearing a "blue brotank, even if it's snowing out."

"Women are much more targeted," he said. "This protest is about equality and that what we stand for matters."

WCSD's dress code policy
Condition and Wear of Clothing

1. Nothing that distracts or poses a safety hazard.

2. No holes, rips, or tears that reveal the body.

3. No tight-fitting or revealing clothing.

Safety

1. No heavy winter coats inside.

2. No clothing that can pose a potential health or safety problem.

3. No gloves inside the building; no single glove at any time.

4. No jewelry or chains that can cause injury.

5. No hanging chains.

6. No metal-spiked or metal-studded accessories.

Tops/Skirts/Dresses

1. Tops must cover the upper- and middle-torso at all times.

2. Skirts must cover the lower torso with no skin showing between top and skirt.

3. Skirts and dresses must be at least mid-thigh in length; no mini-skirts.

4. No exposed undergarments.

5. No halter, tank or tube tops; no transparent(s)/guardian(s), half or muscle shirts.

6. No exposed shoulders.

7. No low-cut necklines, exposed cleavage, or spaghetti straps.

8. No pajamas, lounge wear, or bath robes.

9. Inappropriate tops may not be covered with sheer shirts, sweatshirts or jackets.

Pants/Shorts

1. Must cover lower torso with no skin showing between top and pants/shorts.

2. No exposed undergarments.

3. No sagging pants or shorts.

4. No single rolled-up pant leg.

5. No exposed buttocks.

6. Belt buckle monograms must be appropriate.

7. No hanging or extended belt lengths.

8. No unfastened overalls.

9. No cut-offs.

10. Shorts must be hemmed and at least mid-thigh in length.

11. No mini-shorts; no spandex shorts.

Head Coverings

1. No head coverings or sunglasses brought in the building during school hours.

2. Head coverings (hats) will be returned to parent(s)/guardian(s) only.

3. Exceptions are made for religious or medical reasons.

4. No bandanas (all colors), do-rags (all colors), hairnets, surgical/shower caps, or hair picks at any time on campus or at any school-sponsored event.

Footwear

1. Proper footwear at all times.

2. No house slippers.

Language/Illustrations on Clothing

1. No obscene, vulgar, profane, or derogatory language or illustrations on clothing.

2. No sexual overtones or anything that promotes weapons, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gang membership, or violence.

3. Nothing that may be deemed a safety issue.

Gang Attire
All items that have been identified as gang-related by local law enforcement agencies and Washoe County School District school police are prohibited. These may include, but are not limited, to:

1. No dangling belts.

2. No chains.

3. No unfastened overalls.

4. No sagging pants/shorts.

5. No single rolled-up pant leg.

6. No hairnets, bandanas, or do-rags (all colors).

7. No blue or red shoelaces on footwear at any time; other colors may be deemed inappropriate as necessary to protect student safety on campus.

8. No altered insignias or graffiti.

9. No jewelry or belt buckles symbolizing any gangs.

10. No graffiti in or on personal belongings symbolizing any identified gang.

Read or Share this story: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/education/2019/02/19/students-protest-washoe-county-school-district-dress-code-policy/2876465002/

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North Valleys students plan to bare shoulders to protest dress code policy

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CLOSE This story has been updated to include that the Washoe County School District did not respond to multiple attempts for comment Tuesday. Students watched as two police officers followed Hasana Alidu to the office at North Valleys High School during lunch period on Feb 13.

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Most of the Snapchat story outfits were not inappropriate. They were mocking their dress code in most of them trying to rebel against it almost. This meme just made me laugh.

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Today on Snapchat, there was a special "story" that anyone across the United States could submit a video to. The topic today was "Dress Code." The story showed countless videos of teenagers in Middle School and High School showing the outfits they received a dress code for. The outfits contained ripped jeans, shoulders showing, and a few crop tops.

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People are taking a stand against dress codes that involve hair color & tattoos

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Newly installed Noble Network CEO Constance Jones wanted to make a splash with teachers and students while rolling out her changes last month to the charter schools' notoriously strict dress code policy.

So she showed up at schools citywide with her hair dyed purple.

"It felt like showing up at a Halloween party where you're the only one in costume," Jones said. "I just wanted to model to people that it's OK."

For years, Noble's policy against anything other than "a natural human hair color," as well as visible tattoos and piercings, had drawn protests from students and groans from teachers who asserted it unfairly punished styles popular with African-American students.

Easing those restrictions in a network noted for its tough discipline - and a 12,000-plus student population consisting overwhelmingly of students of color - was Jones' first order of business when she took over Noble in December.

"It's important that we're continually evolving. We're in a different place now than we were 20 years ago."

At 37, she's one of the youngest ever to head a charter network in the Chicago area, and she becomes the first African-American woman to serve as Noble's CEO.

But Jones' colorful rollout of the new dress code wasn't the only thing to stick out during her introductory tour as CEO. It was also the first time in Noble's nearly 20-year history that someone other than founder Michael Milkie was in charge of the network.

Jones was promoted from president to CEO as Noble was mired in controversy last fall in the wake of Milkie's abrupt retirement due to " inappropriate behavior " described as "including hand-holding and an instance of slow-dancing with an alumna."

Jones and Noble head of schools Ellen Metz were key in prompting Milkie's departure, according to the network's official statement at the time, voicing a "lack of confidence" that led to his retirement.

Jones declined to elaborate on Milkie's alleged behavior, citing an ongoing internal investigation and a probe by the Chicago Public Schools inspector general's office.

"There is no place for any type of misconduct that happened. It should've never happened," Jones said.

"The last quarter of the year quite frankly was the toughest in my life. I'd never been in this situation before, but I knew that something needed to be done, and I don't regret doing the right thing."

Milkie - who acknowledged and apologized for his "inappropriate interactions" - did not receive a severance package, Jones said.

The scandal did not prevent Noble from renewing its charter for five additional years with the Chicago Board of Education. District officials have not disclosed the list of "terms and conditions" the network had to agree to as part of their renewal, though a district lawyer said they had to agree to share sexual misconduct allegations with CPS.

Jones said Noble staff went through sexual abuse training provided by CPS last fall in the wake of the district-wide crisis, and, she added, they've implemented a policy of sending allegations against senior leaders to an outside investigator.

"I want people to feel comfortable that if there is some allegation against a senior leader, we are not given special treatment," she said.

Jones, a North Carolina native, earned a Harvard MBA and worked as a corporate officer for Johnson & Johnson and Hyatt before joining Noble's administration in 2015.

When her father died in 2016, she wanted to get a tattoo in remembrance but realized it wouldn't fly in a school system that also issues "demerits" to students for chewing gum, getting caught with an untucked uniform shirt or standing up without permission during lunch.

Those demerits add up to detentions, for which Noble used to charge students $5 per session - a tactic that netted hundreds of thousands of dollars from mostly low-income students. The practice was ended in 2014 after an outcry from parents and students.

"I knew I could get the tattoo today and show up and still be the same person and do the same great work and nothing has changed. That just felt like a tension in me," Jones said.

Mansueto High School junior Diego Garcia, part of the Noble group "Students 4 Change," lauded the eased restrictions in an email.

"Although our movement was suppressed by Noble's administration, Students 4 Change is one step closer to a system that suits the student body's needs, but we still have a lot more to fight for," Garcia said.

Jones said teachers and staff have been happy with the change as well.

"We want to make sure we're not putting up unnecessary barriers for talent," she said.

Jones hasn't pulled the trigger on that tattoo just yet. But as for her next hair color? Maybe a nice baby-blue in honor of her alma mater, the University of North Carolina.

"I'll wear it for March Madness," she said.

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New Noble CEO dyes hair purple, dumps schools' strict dress code

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Newly installed Noble Network CEO Constance Jones wanted to make a splash with teachers and students while rolling out her changes last month to the charter schools' notoriously strict dress code policy. So she showed up at schools citywide with her hair dyed purple.