“Telling girls to cover up just as puberty hits teaches girls that their bodies are inappropriate, dangerous, violable, subject to constant scrutiny and judgment, including by the adults they trust. Nor does it help them understand the culture's role in their wardrobe choices” Peggy Orenstein. 

I read the dress code rule from the Independence School District student handbook, and I can say that I agree with most of the dress code about blankets, face paint, and gang related attire, things like that. Those things are considered distracting. BUT not everything on that list is very accurate in my opinion and I can also say that for other girls at Truman as well. 

Here are a list of things that I, and others, disagree with:

Shirts must have straps of at least 2 inches and completely cover the chest, back, and stomach.
Pants, jeans, shorts, skirts, and dresses must provide adequate coverage of the student’s legs, buttocks, abdomen, lower back, and undergarments both sitting and standing.
#NO CROP TOPS

The most known reason for school dress codes are because they “distract learning environments”. I don't see how this is true. If you think about it, the teachers and principals dress coding the students are the ones ACTUALLY distracting the students from learning. Say a girl were to walk by, in a hurry to get to class and a teacher stops them and asks them to cover up or “change your clothes” that teacher is currently stopping the student from getting to class and will now cause that student to be late. 

As I was reading the student handbook in the dress code section on page 17, I read that violation #2 is that the parents or guardians will be contacted. Unless the student has purposely snuck in a change of clothes and hid them from their parents, then what would be the point in contacting the parents and letting them know that their child is wearing a crop top? And should principals really put time aside to directly email or call students parents when they could be dealing with other situations that are far more important than a dress code violation? Especially since NO ONE is being affected by the skin of their stomach showing? I believe that the PARENTS are in control of what their child wears and doesn't wear, not the school. 

If a sliver of skin on a girl's stomach is considered “distracting” then why isn't the skin on girls arms considered distracting as well? Or legs?  And why is it necessary for our shoulders to be covered up? To what significance do our shoulders have with being a distraction? All questions asked, but yet no answer. There are no answers because the so-called “reasons” that teachers and principals are using to back up their case are just the same reasons over and over again.

Looking back at the quote at the top of the page, I shall restate my case that telling a girl to cover up because her stomach is showing or her shoulders are showing is making her feel a lot of emotions. Not only is she angry and frustrated when told to do so, you have also made her feel insecure and shameful of her body. A lot of girls express themselves through their clothing, and you're taking that away from them. Even if girls don't wear clothes to express themselves, even if they are just trying to be comfortable, they can't. They can't even be comfortable because the school says that it's distracting, when the cold hard truth is…. It's not. Has a girl come to the counselors office complaining that a boy was harassing them because her shoulders were out? The answer is no, it is just assumed. Have parents called the school telling the principals that her daughter was sexually harassed or abused because you could see a sliver of skin? The answer is no, again. And maybe i'm wrong, maybe parents have called, maybe girls have talked to the counselors about it. 

Then why wasn't it addressed? 

And for the boys. Although the dress code is mainly pointed towards girls, there are some things that have not been addressed or properly enforced. If a lot of guys are sagging then why aren't teachers and principals constantly getting on them for it? If guys are wearing cut out t-shirts then why aren't they getting talked to? 

Truman, Principals, Staff members, teachers, I am not here today to disrespect you whatsoever… but the dress code at Truman High School needs to be changed. Not changed entirely, but there are a lot of gray areas in the dress code that need to be fixed. 

The girls at Truman high school shouldn't have to feel ashamed of their bodies and treated like they are dangerous or inappropriate.

Stop this.