We are starting a petition to look into updating the Pittsgrove Township School Districts dress code.

My 11 year old daughter was written up for wearing an 'inappropriate' outfit to school.  The top was considered too short and the pants too tight.  I was told this would be a distraction and was against the school policy.  That should my daughter need to bend over she could show parts of her body inappropriately.  As you can see her outfit was clearly covering all body parts and more than appropriate for a school environment. In fact, this shirt was worn several times since the start of school with shorts, legging capris and leggings before she was written up and deemed inappropriate.  The dress code was sent home to me to ensure I did not dress her wrong again.  The code is clearly sexist and geared to female students in the school.  While I agree a dress code is appropriate, I think the rules need to be updated.  Our girls are being disciplined (some over and over) for attire that if far from inappropriate, distracting, revealing or sexy.  In the time it took for my child to contact me, her to speak with the principal and to consider her disciplinary options, she missed time from her classes and was so humiliated she cried when she came home and refused to attend school the next day.  I am told by past female students to expect more write ups.  That female students who are tall and considered curvy are always noticed and written up more even though they may be wearing the same outfit as their friends.  While I understand the need to ensure proper attire on students, we should NEVER be humiliating or bullying our students in the process.  We should NEVER be attacking a student based on her bust, hips or legs.  We should NEVER expect our children to be ashamed while attending school.  And we should NEVER focus on mainly the female students.

Strict dress codes that mainly apply to girl’s clothing not only distract from a school’s primary purpose—to educate young minds—but also inadvertently reinforce the sexualization of young girls. By placing the burden on young female students to avoid “tantalizing” their male counterparts with their clothes, these dress codes may perpetuate rape culture, as reporter Laura Bates pointed out in TIME magazine:

“When a girl is taken out of class on a hot day for wearing a strappy top, because she is ‘distracting’ her male classmates, his education is prioritized over hers. When a school takes the decision to police female students’ bodies while turning a blind eye to boys’ behavior, it sets up a lifelong assumption that sexual violence is inevitable and victims are partially responsible. Students are being groomed to perpetuate the rape culture narrative that sits at the very heart of our society’s sexual violence crisis. It matters very much indeed.”

Our goal is for the district to form a committee with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to revise the dress code. We need to change the language and policies so the dress code is fair and non-discriminatory to all students and up to date on the attire available to all students today.  We would like it to apply to all students not based on body shape or sex of the student.  Disciplinary actions should be fair and consistent to all students.  And dress policies and disciplinary actions should apply to staff as well to set the proper standard they expect of their students.

Help make the change.........Our students are worth far more than their clothing!!