In some middle schools, girls have to put duct tape over any holes in their jeans that are above their knees, but it is much more rare for guys to be required to cover rips in their jeans. Why is this?
There have been many online posts that show young girls wearing perfectly respectable outfits and the captions explain the horror their parents felt when their children were dress coded. Being dress coded at school is not something that many males think about when they’re getting dressed in the morning, it is however, a common thought for most females.
Here at South, there is a relatively relaxed dress code, although there are still more restrictions for girls then there are for boys.
In page nine of South’s Parent/Student Handbook it states, “Immodest clothing such as halter tops, tube tops, muscle shirts, backless tops/ dresses, and see-through attire are not allowed. Clothing that exposes inappropriate areas, including undergarments and midriffs, shall not be worn at school.”
South’s dress code is lenient on pants and bottoms students may wear, but in terms of tops there are seemingly more restrictions for females than males.
“Someone wearing a shirt that exposes midriff shouldn’t be written off as inappropriate, most of the time we wear clothes that we feel accurately express is ourselves and we shouldn’t be criticized or sexualized for letting ourselves be confident in who we are,” said Amoreena Kapan-Parvin ‘21.
A recent video from Soddy-Daisy High School in Tennessee that was posted on YouTube caused major controversy after their former athletic director and assistant principal, Jared Hensley, made sexist comments that were directed specifically towards girls. The video directly calls out girls for wearing athletic shorts that were considered too short and therefore the school restricted them in their dress code for both girls and guys.
In the video Hensley states that, “If you really want someone to blame, blame the girls, because they pretty much ruin everything.”
Parents of these students were outraged at the administrator’s comments and the school district outwardly opposed Hensley’s remarks and claimed that they did not represent the districts values.
Comments like these are some that reinforce exploitation of girls in the world and make some believe that it is okay to outwardly voice opinions like these, especially those in a position of power.
Some of Hensley’s students said that he had never treated them differently because of their sex and that the comments in the video did not express his true values. However, the question still remains, why would Jared Hensley think that joking about such a serious matter was appropriate? Hensley has since been placed on administrative leave.
Unfortunately, situations and comments like these are happening at an increasing rate and young girls are the targets. It is important for schools’ modesty dress codes to be more inclusive to all ways of dressing and make it a more fair environment for boys and girls.
