The dress code at J. H. Rose High School is outdated and long overdue for a change. This applies to most schools in Pitt County, but for the sake of specificity, this is J. H. Rose only. Also, we are not trying to fully remove the dress code, we just think it should change.  

If students at J. H. Rose are caught in improper dress code, they are sent out of their classrooms until they have changed. The dress code mainly targets these items of clothing, and are described as inappropriate: 

Pants or shirts that are tight/short (short meaning above the fingertips) 

Shirts with wide or deep cuts that expose chest area

Tank tops 

Jeans with holes

This rule is teaching a generation of young people that their own bodies are inappropriate and that they need to cover up. This breeds insecurity and body dysmorphia in young people’s brains that will stay with them for the rest of their life. 

Furthermore, this rule causes students to miss valuable class time. Education is supposed to come first at school, but instead of focusing on creating a safe space for all students, the people in charge have chosen instead to sexualize CHILDREN’S bodies and teach them that they are something to be ashamed of. 

In order to fix this, we propose a more lenient dress code. Tank tops, tight shirts, and tight pants should be excused. Shorts must have at least a 3-5 inch inseam. Jeans may have holes as long as they are below the 3-5 inch inseam mark (the length the shorts are allowed to be). Collarbone is allowed to show, but shirt necks may not be deeper than 5 inches. 

If you have read all the way through, thank you. Please sign this petition and share it with your peers.