“Juicy” skirts not allowed
10th grader in trouble over ‘Juicy’ skirt
10th grader Nichoel Hawks ran afoul of the school dress code with a skirt from the “Juicy” brand. The slogan “It’s all about Juicy” written across her butt was too much for the Raleigh County administrators.
School district officials say it could lead to sexually harassing comments from other students. Nichoel’s mother, Jennifer Hawks, notes Juicy is a brand name of an expensive line of clothing. She says officials didn’t know about the brand and made a mistake by banning her daughter’s skirt.
I think I’m going to side with the school on this one. Their reason is wrong but their action was correct. A slogan obviously meant to be interpreted as the wearer having a juicy ass isn’t appropriate for school. Their vacillating explanation was a poor attempt to deflect their own authority and pass it off as concern for the girl.
(Tip credit to Bumper)
Schools have no business imposing dress codes on students. The student’s body is her own property, so she has the right to wear what she wants.
I’m going to have to disagree with Shadowhawk. When you move into the workforce, you learn that you have to abide by a certain dress-code, and even though my current employer has a ‘casual’ dress code, I would very likely be reprimanded or fired for wearing something like that to the office. If schools are supposed to prepare students for the ‘real world’ then teaching them about appropriate dress choices is a component of that.
Telling someone it’s their body, and they have the right to wear whatever they want is what down the line produces memos to the White House staff, that yes, they DO have to wear underwear with their micro-miniskirts.
Teach students to save the super-slut clothing for when they’re trolling for guys at the mall, not in the classroom.
That is why I think ALL schools need to go to a school uniform as soon as possible.
Her mother must be nuts. Schools have enough trouble keeping kids (and staff) from sexually harassing one another.
This is somewhat related. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for some schools to clean up their required or recommended school reading lists? Here is a website from VA that lists objectionable books that students are either required or recommended to read. I can’t imagine school officials being so naive that they don’t realize that what students read can adversely affect them — garbage in, garbage out, spilled into the hallways and classrooms of today’s public schools.
http://www.pabbis.com/news.htm
I don’t want to attack Shadowhawk, but I do want to take issue with the idea that just because its your own body or your own property you can decorate it however you want.
The kids are in school to learn. To some extent learn about ‘life’ or street smarts, but more so to learn about Math, Science, Art, History, Civics, etc. If someone’s adolescent boy can’t keep his eyes on his book, if the other girls can’t keep from gossiping or trying to attract the attention of the boys, then there is a problem.
I’m not trying to say there shouldn’t be a social aspect to school, but its purpose is education. Is the educational mission accomplished by saying ”decorate your body however sexually you wish” ?
We dress up for job interviews, we dress up for junior and senior proms, we dress up for weddings, why do we feel like kids should dress down for school? Is education less important?
When I was in school, the dress code was very open. Beyond “shirt, pants/dress/skirt, shoes”, pretty much the only requirement was that your clothes/hair/makeup/whatever not be “disruptive”.
While it’s very subjective (especially so in a pre-emptive situation as this one), I can see how such clothing could be “disruptive”. I do think the school took the weasel method with “preventing sexual harassment”, however.
I’d like to think that the school I went to would have taken the course of issuing a warning that it “might” be disruptive, and if they got reports of such, they would have to ban it.
As for Shadowhawk’s comment, I think the school has as much right to ban disruptive clothing as it does to ban disruptive behavior.
On a related note
\http://www.comics.com/comics/forbetter/archive/forbetter-20040906.html
Why does the school have to do this?
1) Court decisions which require the school to proactively stop sexual harrassment of students by their peers.
2) Parents don’t teach standards, so schools are forced to set some.
And Shadow, while I am philosophically inclined to support your libertarian urge, I recognize the reality that exists in our schools make that impossible. Should she be allowed to wear a see-through blouse? Just pasties? Chaps with the butt cheeks exposed? Come on!
I went and looked up bettina’s list, because anytime someone proposes censorship of reading materials when the subject is clothing, I’m suspicious. Yep, another list of thing homophobic religious right-wingers don’t like. Funny, I didn’t see the Bible (pick a version) on the list, even though it includes rape, incest, murder, approves of slavery, scatalogical references…the list goes on, and that’s even ignoring that it encourages an irrational worldview and promotes ancient superstitions.
Beware of censors. As for little girls wearing sleazewear, I think schools have the right to reasonable limits to protect other students from disruption, but not the right to force students to wear uniforms that express only one ideal “look”. Sexual innuendo is not protected merely because it’s hidden in commercial slogans.
Celeste, I must disagree. Employment under an employer who mandates a dress code is optional. Truancy from school can land you in prison. Schools should not have the right to dictate your dress where you have no choice over whether to attend.
Regardless, adolescent boys are going to look at the girls no matter what they wear.. =\
I think the girl had a right to wear the clothes, as long as it wasn’t too exposing to the flesh.
Those sayings didsturb the student body just as much as political sayings, which I think students should be free to wear.
I have two sons and two daughters all at school.
The boys haven’t a clue when it comes to fashion. The school uniform just means that they look reasonable.
Clothes for girls are a much bigger issue and I really do believe that their too have absolutely no idea the effect that some clothes have on MEN. Parents and school administrators have to protect the girls until they mature to the point where they UNDERSTAND the effect that their clothes have on others.
I have a theory that as clothes in the general world become more sexually suggestive that the schools react by implementing more and more concervative clothing requirements and uniforms.
Personally I would much prefer my daughters to wear short skimpy clothes to school where they are in a safe protected environment and to wear much more concervative clothes when they go out in public. To this end I actually will only permit my girls to wear the school uniform skirt. Thats right they do not own the shorts or long pants. My hope is that thay will have moments of embarrassment and get over the need to undress infront of others at school and be willing to wear what I consider to be more appropriate clothes when out on their own.
So far so good with the oldest at 14 she is far less inclined that her friends to try to push for those skimpy hipster skirts. we’ll just see how we go.
Trish
I am headmistress at my school ,I let girls wear any skirt they want HOWEVER as and when i see a pupil wearing a Tight short Lycra skirt ..which is quite often these days ..i have them sent to my office and confiscate the garment permanently ..it goes in the school rag bag to be cut up for rags for the evening cleaning staff…and opaque black tights they go ..although i let girls wear opaque black tights they must be in good condition any with holes/laddered are confiscated to the ragbag. I am fair but ruthless.
Interesting perspectives on this issue. As both a public high school teacher and a libertarian, I find the open-mindedness of this discussion very refreshing. However, one major point that makes nearly all others invalid is that these are kids we’re talking about. As adults, it is our duty to educate them in as many broad subjects and topics as feasible; and to teach them a little morality, positive decision-making, responsibility, integrity, and productivity. It is also our responsibility to keep them as safe as possible without removing all risk from their environment (so they are at least exposed to a little before adulthood).
And when they make mistakes, we brush it off with “they’re just kids.” But the key word here is “kid.” The reality of education and parenting in general is that regardless of your political views and moral views, we as adults in a civilized society are responsible for our children, their actions and their choices.
Kid are not adults! They are kids! From a legal standpoint, they have far fewer rights when it comes to what they are allowed to do in out free society then adults do. Although discrimination in terms to race, ethnicity, sex, gender (sex and gender are different for those of us who are educated enough to understand the difference…i.e. sex is protected under right to vote and civil liberties, while gender is protected under freedom of speech and expression rights), disabilities, etc., age is quite literally discriminated against in the constitution itself. For example, you cannot run for the U.S. Rep. position until the age of 25, or Senator until age 30. Now, although later labor laws forbid work-related discrimination in people over age 40, it has been implied in most court cases and in many laws that extreme restriction can be placed on individuals under the age of 18 - kids. Why? Because they don’t have legal responsibilities to counter their rights! (If the kids commits a crime, does he face adult punishment??? Of course not! - unless of course he commits murder… another topic altogether.) Parents take care of them and MUST provide for their basic and educational needs under federal and most state laws. Thus, parents HAVE THE RIGHT to say “YOU MAY NOT WEAR THAT EVER!” or “YOU MUST BE BACK BY 9PM!” or “YOU MUST FINISH YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU GO PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS!” And parents HAVE THE RIGHT to punish children in ‘appropriate’ ways that they see fit when the children disobey. (Of course, child abuse is never acceptable under any circumstances!)
When children go to school, either public or private, they also must follow the directions of the staff, teachers and administrators that run the school. What a lot of people forget is that teachers, administrators, and other staff are legally responsible for all the of things stated above regarding the students that attend. Therefore, they act as “temporary parents” while the school is in session and during after-school activities. And thus, they may restrict unappropriate dress as they see fit as long as such policities are clearly stated by the school or by the district that school resides within.