We are writing to address the recent dress code change for girls in the Upper School that now eliminates the wearing of leggings. As parents of these girls, we want to first acknowledge that we totally support the school administration implementing and enforcing the dress code policy. As far as leggings are concerned, it is clear to us that tight leggings and short tops are the trend but should not be acceptable at school. We can only imagine the issue this presents to the teachers and administrators to have to continuously monitor this and deal with students breaking the rules. We sympathize with all of you and totally agree that a change needs to be made. However, we have some major concerns regarding this specific decision, and strongly urge the administration to reconsider this change.

Realizing that tight leggings and short tops are a problem, we would first like to recommend the fair and even enforcement of the existing dress code. It seems a more reasonable approach to the problem at hand would be to reprimand the frequent offenders of the dress code as it stands now. Sending a student home or even fines have been used by other private schools to help enforce reasonable rules of dress. We have gone out of our way to ensure that our own daughters dress appropriately for class and follow all existing dress code rules. It is clear to us that some students take advantage of the existing policies. 

A factor that the administration needs to understand is the considerable cost incurred for parents of daughters at Lee-Scott for this dress code change. With the new no-leggings rule, we will be required to purchase all new joggers or jeans for our daughters. Those of us with multiple daughters at Lee-Scott are already pushed to our limit. A vast majority of our girls have leggings as the main daily wear for their wardrobe. It would be similar to outlawing khaki shorts for young men at Lee-Scott. It is not as simple as replacing a single outfit. Instead, it is replacing an entire category of clothing for our students. A conservative estimate would be several thousand dollars per family to replace this clothing alone. 

We would also like to express how frustrating and difficult it is to find things for the girls to wear to school that are appropriate. Jeans without holes, shorts with ample inseams, tops that are appropriate, and dresses that are modest are already difficult to find. We challenge the administration to find alternatives for wear for the average student. We would like to see some samples of clothing that are adequate to meet current requirements sold in stores and available for our young women. In short, taking leggings out of the rotation for daily wear is another hardship to place on moms. We would love to help come up with a solution that works for everyone.

 One possible solution to consider is school uniforms. While none of our teen girls have been on board for uniforms at this point, removing a staple of daily wear like leggings forces the issue. The cost for uniforms would be similar to the cost of replacing leggings in our view. Uniforms would ensure that all students comply with the administration’s vision for appropriate wear for our students. Uniforms would take the burden off of the teachers and administrators to have to constantly monitor what these girls wear, and it would make it easier on moms and daughters to not have to stress over this issue. We would strongly consider the administration to consider uniforms before making such a drastic change to the school dress policy. 

Finally, we must consider the elephant in the room: the school dress code places an uneven burden on our female students. A male student is able to attend school with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Males often break the dress code with choices like short inseam violations or ill-fitting or revealing clothing. Specifically, males are somehow allowed to wear athletic shorts, despite the fact that the current dress code prohibits such apparel. There seems to be an unspoken culture within Lee-Scott that leans towards the masculinity of sports and away from discretion and respect for our girls. Our girls are expected to make every dress selection to somehow prevent the male gaze. We would much prefer to see a culture where our male students are taught to respect the modesty of our young women. While this may seem unrealistic, it is worth questioning the purpose behind making arbitrary changes to the dress code. Simply stated, we must do better. Changing from leggings to another outfit like a summer dress does not prevent this culture, it only changes the violations being broken. Of course, we understand the social and cultural changes that have occurred in our schools, both public and private. We select private schools like Lee-Scott to prevent some of the issues that occur with loose dress code policies. We again fully support that as Christian young women, it is imperative for our girls to wear clothing that protects their Spirit. However, it is clear that many of the dress code policies are unfairly targeting our girls. The male gaze is strong, but perhaps a better strategy to protect our young women is to teach them modesty in the home. Again, enforcing the existing dress code seems to be a much more viable option. 

 Ultimately we would like there to be more communication between the parents of girls and the administration who make these dress code decisions. We were simply given no input and are left scrambling to find suitable options to comply to this change, again at the cost of thousands of dollars. We want to offer our support of the administration, and we ask you to reconsider this change. Let us help come up with a reasonable and realistic solution. 

If you agree with the above narrative please sign this petition. The signed petition will be sent to the Lee Scott administration and the Board of Directors.