Upon the return to school a good quarter or more of the females at my school, Hazelwood Central were sent home or sent to in school suspension for their clothing. There was never a dress code formally sent out to us as students or to our parents before school started. At this point we are just guessing what we can and can not wear. Our biggest concern in our dress code is no leggings, no biker shorts, and all other shorts have to go to our fingertips. Leggings are a “distraction” and in one of my male teachers words “show too much definition”. How are my legs covered all the way up from top to bottom a distraction??? Young black women are often over-sexualized for our bodies, bodies we can’t control the growth or shape of. And not just at Hazelwood schools everywhere! I bet if you ask any woman she can tell you AT LEAST one story of somebody commenting on clothes that cover her body just because how her body looks in them. And let’s mention how uncomfortable it is to walk into my school everyday having the same MALE staff member look every female up and down to make sure her shorts aren’t too short or she doesn’t have leggings on. Meanwhile guns and weed are brought into this school everyday, one was brought yesterday, instead of checking out young ladies outfits he needs to be checking bags!!! A teacher told my class in a meeting our new principal talked about bonnets for 40 MINUTES while there was so much more that needed to be discussed. They should’ve been using that time to discuss the fact that we don’t have enough classes for students. Many students have holes in their schedules and the most administration can tell us is to wait, we’ll eventually figure it out. A counselor told me that one of my required classes was full for the whole year so she doesn’t know what to tell me, maybe try to email my grade level counselor in a few weeks. How is something that’s required not even offered? As you can see they’re bigger concerns than a young ladies legs and stomachs, but this is there main focus.