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PARENTS have claimed their daughters’ first day of school was ruined after being told they were violating the school dress code.
The young girls were allegedly told off for wearing clothes that did not conform with the California school district’s strict dress code.
A model wears the popular Lululemon shorts that students at a school in California were allegedly told off for[/caption]
This image sets out the dress code for schools in the Clovis Unified School district[/caption]
The popular Lululemon shorts can be purchased with an inseam of 2.5 inches or 4 inches, but the California school sets out that shorts must have an inseam of at least 5 inches[/caption]
The students were wearing a popular pair of shorts from Lululemon, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Parents claimed that school officials at the Alta Sierra Intermediate School in Clovis, California – just under a three-hour drive from Sacramento – had patrolled the hallways and pulled aside students they deemed to be wearing inappropriate clothes.
“We’ve heard horror stories of admin walking around, bending over and staring and gawking at the girls and their legs,” one parent, Brenna Hughes claimed.
“The girls feel very uncomfortable.
“They were embarrassed and called out in front of their friends. For what? For wearing normal clothes?” she added.
Hughes represents a group of parents who have complained about the school’s alleged handling of the dress code policy.
They have claimed the strict rules have affected their daughters’ self-esteem, leaving them “traumatized,” according to Hughes.
“The enforcement of such a requirement unfairly and disproportionately impacts our young girls compared to their male counterparts,” Hughes wrote in an online petition.
She has launched a Change.org petition calling for the “immediate amendment to the Clovis Unified School District’s dress code policy.”
Currently, the dress code requires the inseam of girls’ shorts to be at least 5 inches and Hughes wants this to change to a minimum of 3 inches.
The trendy Lululemon shorts typically have an inseam of 3-4 inches.
“For our sons, tailored shorts that fit the 5-inch inseam requirements are easily accessible, but for our daughters, finding these shorts is a nearly impossible task,” Hughes said.
She claimed that the school district’s policies could potentially violate Title IX – a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding.
“The existing dress code inadvertently creates a dynamic where young female students are subjected to scrutiny based on their attire,” Hughes continued.
She claimed this was “undoubtedly influencing their school experience negatively.”
Hughes argued that if the dress code was modified, it would “uplift the morale of our female students by removing an unfair burden.”
It would also create a more empowering environment, she added.
Clovis Unified School District dress code
The dress code page on the district's website sets out the rules for students.
It states that:
- Garments should be stitched evenly. Fraying should be repaired and holes in clothing must be patched up so that no bare skin is exposed.
- Shorts should be evenly hemmed and have an inseam of at least five inches.
- Spandex or Lycra shorts are not allowed.
- Leggings are permitted but cannot be see-through.
- Tops worn with leggings must not expose midriffs.
The full guidelines can be found here – Dress Code.
The U.S. Sun contacted the Clovis Unified School District for comment.
Alta Sierra Intermedite’s school website explained that its dress code was designed to prepare students for success after high school.
“Good grooming, and appropriateness of attire are a part of learning for all students,” the website said.
The school district has claimed the strict dress code is in place to “support student safety, promote health and hygiene, prepare students for their future, and establish a learning environment focused on education.”
But parents of these students seem to be strongly opposed to these rules.
“You even have female teachers wearing Lululemon shorts at school – and that’s fine – but the girls can’t wear them?” Hughes claimed.
She argued that the exact Lululemon shorts weren’t an issue during the last school year.
“They came out very militant-like this year,” Hughes declared.
The Alta Sierra Intermediate school in the Clovis Unified School District has come under fire from angry parents[/caption]
