High School Dress Code For Parents Comes Under Fire For Being Discriminatory
A Houston high school has implemented a dress code for the parents of students, and the new policy has come under fire, reports Buzzfeed News.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Texas mom Joselyn Lewis was taken by surprise when she was denied the opportunity to enroll her daughter for high school because staff members took issue with Lewis’ attire. Not only was Joselyn refused service, but she was also asked to leave school property. At the time, Lewis was wearing a Marilyn Monroe dress and a headscarf.
Speaking to KPRC 2 Houston, Lewis recounted the incident in question.
“She [a school administrator] went on to say that she still couldn’t let me on the premises because I was not in dress code and I still didn’t understand what that meant,” Lewis told reporters.
“She said that my headscarf was out of dress code and my dress was too short.”
As Joselyn notes, she was trying to enroll her daughter at James Madison High School (in the middle of the school year) since her daughter was being bullied at her current school. While the administrative staff did not provide her with specific issues they took with her clothing, it seems the school has now doubled down on its policy and has laid out a cut-and-dry dress code for parents. As Buzzfeed News notes, the following articles of clothing are no longer permitted.
- Satin caps, bonnets, or shower caps
- Hair rollers
- Pajamas
- House shoes
- Low cut tops and short dresses
- Torn jeans, leggings, or Daisy Dukes
James Madison High School Principal Carlotta Outley Brown wrote a letter addressed to parents and adult guests of students, explaining their new policy.
“We are preparing your child for a prosperous future,” Brown wrote.
“We want them to know what is appropriate and what is not appropriate for any setting they may be in.”
Zeph Capo, who serves as the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, explained to CNN that the school’s new policy “seems a little classist.”
“Having body parts exposed is one thing. Turning someone away because their hair’s in rollers… is a little ridiculous,” Capo explained.
#ICYMI. What do you think about a parental dress code? #Houston #KPRC2https://t.co/eD3Cln6xoh
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) April 24, 2019
Since the school explicitly outlined its new parental dress code, the policy has come under fire for being discriminatory, with some arguing that the rules unfairly and disproportionately target black woman, who commonly wear headscarves, satin caps, bonnets, and shower caps in order to protect their hair. It’s worth mentioning that Lewis, who is African-American, was wearing a headscarf when she went to James Madison High School to enroll her daughter.
