ATTENTION HHS STAFF AND STUDENTS. 

We, the student body, have sat silent for too long while we are constantly having our rights taken away, and getting ignored when we object. We are told when we can eat, which way we can walk in a hallway, when we can use the restroom, when we have to shave and what we can wear. But we are done. We are writing this petition because we are tired of the sexist, oppressive and outdated dress code. We will no longer allow our voices to be silenced. We have been degraded, humiliated and disrupted over our choice of clothing for far too long, and it has to stop. If our education is so important to you then why are you interrupting it to make us change clothes because you claim it is ‘distracting’. And to that we ask who? Who are we “distracting” by our shoulders being uncovered or a hole above our knee? And why is it okay for you to disrupt our learning by sending us home? You are teaching girls from the time they are small that their bodies are distracting and something for men to look at. You speak about these young women as if they are prey and if that’s the case then are there predators on campus? How does what we wear affect how we learn? And do you have the evidence to prove that it will? Who told you they were distracted or uncomfortable by our shoulders? This year, the HHS staff has been instructed to crack down on us even harder and we will not be oppressed any longer. The dress code is mainly addressed toward young women and is very obviously sexist. Girls get sent home in a matter of minutes for wearing the same length shorts boys are seen wearing daily. We are not saying that anyone should be allowed to attend school in undergarments or anything extreme; we are saying that if it is 90 degrees outside, we need to be able to wear shorts and cooler clothes. If our parents approve of what we are wearing, how is it anyone’s business what we have on our bodies? These boys are being forced to shave their faces even when they wear masks and if someone can’t afford a nice razor or a razor in general, they have to use one of the cheap ones the school provides that are known for cutting people who use them. How does that make any sense? The student body is never informed on why these rules exist, nor heard when we speak against them. We will no longer sit in silence while a bunch of adults who don’t know or care about us make every single decision for us. If you are a student reading this and you agree and want your voice to be heard, please sign this and send it to everyone you know.