A renewed focus on dress code enforcement at Sarasota High School has generated hundreds of students and alumni protesting rules that they say are sexist.
On Monday, Sarasota High Principal David Jones announced that administrators had become lax in dress code enforcement and that students needed to ensure they would be in compliance beginning on Wednesday.
That meant on Wednesday morning, roughly 40 students had been sent to either the gymnasium or the front office for dress code violations, and they were required to change their attire to return to class.
“I have not given the greatest attention to dress code this year with everything else that has gone on,” Jones said. “On Monday I got on after the announcements and said, 'Guys, we are going to have a family chat. We have let the dress code slip and it’s time to get back in check.'”
Jones said school administrators were focused on male students who were wearing tank tops and sagging their pants and female students wearing short shorts and midriff shirts. The school was not enacting new rules, just more strictly enforcing the existing Sarasota County School Board's dress code, he added.
Within a couple of hours of administrators enforcing the rules on Wednesday, students who had been pulled from class had started online petitions calling for the dress code to be abolished. One petition, which had nearly 600 signatures by early afternoon, argued that dress codes are inherently sexist.
"Girls are sometimes told that their clothing is too distracting and boys can't pay attention," the petition stated. "However, this kind of language is sexist and many anti-dress code advocates point out that it sends a message to the male student body that they are not solely responsible for their actions."
There were also rumors circulating online that dozens of students had been sent home from school, which Jones said was not true. He said four students opted to go home rather than change their outfits.
An email from school administrators this week alerted families that students needed to comply with the existing dress code policy.
"Beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/14) we will no longer allow students to slip on a jacket or sweater to cover an item that does not comply with the dress code,” the email stated. “Rather, the student will have to change the clothing item in order to be in compliance. If the student does not have clothing to be in compliance with the dress code, a parent will need to bring clothing or the student will not be permitted to go to class.”
Jones said it was true that girls generally get in trouble for dress code violations more than boys.
"It tends, unfortunately, that this is more of a female issue instead of a guys' issue," he said. "I hate it because that gets interpreted as a sexist thing."
Dress codes have long been a thorny issue for school administrators, said School Board Chairwoman Shirley Brown. As a member of her own high school's student council, Brown successfully lobbied administrators to allow girls to wear pants on snow days.
Dress code debates elicit passion on both sides.
"These kids need to be prepared for the real world," said Sarasota High mother Theresa Lavin. "I am a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines. I have a uniform. I have strict guidelines. If I do not follow the company's guidelines, I will be fired, and with good reason."
Many people who signed the petition said that male classmates and teachers should be held responsible for being distracted by what girls were wearing.
Dress code dispute: Administrator tells Braden River High student to cover her nipples with bandages
"I am tired of being looked at from a pedophilic eye and being told at 17 that my outfit is too distracting," one signatory said.
"I’m signing for every young girl that has been sexualized, pulled out of class, harassed and had to change because of a sexist old-fashioned dress code that should not be implemented," said another.
In 2018, an administrator at Braden River High School in Manatee County created national news when she required a female student who came to school not wearing a bra to place bandages on her nipples.
The incident sparked a "Bracott," where female students allegedly attended school without wearing a bra.
Jones said he would like to form a student committee to translate the School Board policy into "kid friendly" language. He said he expects the fervor to die down in the next week as students adjust.
Ryan McKinnon covers schools for the Herald-Tribune. Connect with him at ryan.mckinnon@heraldtribune.com or on Twitter: @JRMcKinnon. Support the Sarasota Herald-Tribune by subscribing today.
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Students and alumni call Sarasota High School dress code sexist - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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