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Friday, August 23, 2019

Do School Dress Codes Unfairly Target Girls of Color?

Hasana Alidu likes to dress for her mood. A student at North Valleys High School in Reno, Nev., Alidu loves to express herself through clothing, wearing yellow when she’s happy or black when she’s sad. But on a cool morning this past February, Alidu didn’t think much about the outfit she wore to school: an off-the-shoulder black top tucked into crimson-colored pants. She pulled her long afro curls neatly into a low ponytail. She certainly never imagined her clothes would result in two school police officers escorting her through the halls, as other students watched.

Her school district, the second largest in Nevada, had a clear dress code ban against exposed shoulders at the time. But Alidu says she wasn’t worried about the particular shirt she chose that day. Classmates wear similar clothing—and even more revealing outfits—all the time, she says, without any consequence. For Alidu, the trouble started during lunch when an administrator asked her to cover her shoulders. Alidu initially obliged by pulling up her sleeves. Later in the period, however, the sleeves had slipped back down. When the administrator again saw her with bare shoulders, she called the school officers to take Alidu to the office. As punishment, she received an in-school suspension, and her mother was called. The Washoe County School District did not confirm whether the suspension would be reflected on her record. “I think it’s ridiculous,” Alidu says. “I had to miss class for what I was wearing.” The dress code is unfair, she says. “Most guys wouldn’t even have to deal with that problem; most of the dress code is targeted toward girls.”

Of the 39 restrictions listed in the district’s 2018 handbook, at least half a dozen mentioned items more likely to be worn by female students. Among them: no low-cut necklines, exposed cleavage, or spaghetti straps; no halter tops, tank tops or tube tops; skirts and dresses must be at least mid-thigh in length. Since the incident, a revised policy published online lists 17 restrictions that do not specifically mention exposed shoulders.

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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uniforms are a must. Everyone would be equal and not to would worry what others are wearing.

Anonymous said...

Hey, exposed female ankles used to be risque.

Anonymous said...

Suck it up buttercup. Rules are rules.

Anonymous said...

Science says that uniforms rule.
Dress them all alike, take away the cellphones. Half the work is done.

Anonymous said...

Rule Number 1: Everything is racist in 2019.

Rule Number 2: See Rule 1.

Anonymous said...

Without any guidelines they would all dress like sluts.

Anonymous said...

100%

Retired Teacher said...

I retired from teaching and the girls arrived early enough to school to hit the locker room or Lavatory to change into there school outfits.
What they wore was shorter skirts, skimpy blouses, no bras, real short shorts, removed their underwear and flashed me and the boys in classes wear just a skirt.
As a male teacher I had girls, one at least in every class I taught, offer a sexual favor for a better grade. The daughters of some of the richest families and most religious were the worst!

Anonymous said...

Northwest Woodsman: Good comments and I have nothing further to add except this is another minority causing trouble and unrest. Maybe looking for a ghetto lottery payoff. Anyone else out there really fatigued by all this predictable behavior?

Anonymous said...

Yep, she would probably vote for socialism, where people would be required to wear certain attire, so why doesn't she want to wear what the dress code states. Gotta love people like this.

Anonymous said...


Saggy pants is about as far as the boys go, plus ball caps and hoodies.

The word modesty is not in the vocabulary of a large number of teenage girls. They violate the dress code with impunity because administrators tolerate it. Teachers decline to pursue the issue because their bosses do. In short order, the 'good' kids see what is going on and dress down also. The consequences are evident.

The reality is a large number of employees wear uniforms at work. School is the current job for the teens. And it is cheaper by far for parents to buy uniforms in the form of polo shirts, modest shorts, skorts, or slacks.

Sometimes it takes some intestinal fortitude by the adults to do the right thing. Locally, chasing fads is more important.

Anonymous said...

If you want to dress like a hooker, do it on the street corner, not in school where you are supposed to be learning something, not trying to get laid!

Anonymous said...

Why is THEY just cannot seem to do as they are told to do? Rules and laws are just there to be broken to them.

Anonymous said...

Always have to push the limits and then complain when they get caught. Idiots.