I am petitioning the dress code here at Rockdale County High School. A student's First Amendment right and their right to equal opportunity throughout the school day is violated by the school dress code. Students' attire "must not disrupt the educational process, interfere with the maintenance of a positive teaching/learning climate, or compromise reasonable standards of health, safety, and decency." According to Policy 7:160. How is my belly button disrupting the educational process? In settings like businesses, factories, and schools, a dress code is frequent. Since it requires employees to dress professionally and represent the firm, having a dress code at workplaces and offices is not an issue. There are numerous debates on whether the dress code in schools accomplishes the same goal as the dress code in companies and industries in which it does not. School should be a safe yet creative environment for students. The right of a student is to study in peace this right is being interfered with due to these restrictions. If a Male is caught sagging here at Rockdale, they are told to pull up in which they do after being asked more than once to later pull back down their pants out of the teacher’s sight. A female who disobeys the dress code at Rockdale is immediately removed from the "positive learning climate" and is reprimand by that teacher, you are taken to ISS, and you must wait for you parent/guardian to bring you a change of clothing. Doing this would appear sensible, it is exactly the contrary. It violates the students' right to education. Typically, most parents are at work doing their job and do not have time to drop everything they are working on to drive home, pick up a change of clothes, drive to the school to drop off the change of clothes, and return to work. Students are in ISS for extended periods of time due to this unnecessary issue that was not an issue when their parents saw what they were wearing to school. The dress code at Rockdale is discriminatory towards Black women. It places more limitations on females than males. Black girls endure significant clothing constraints, according to the National Women's Law Center's summary. Assistant superintendent and principal of Evanston Township High School Marcus Campbell, spoke about changing an outdated dress code: "if certain females were not a certain body type, if they had more curves or had certain features that were developed, they were dress coded over for a low-cut shirt or short skirt.” “ . Young women of color were subjected to dress codes more often than white females. For these reasons, we considered it to be outdated, sexist, and racist. We realized a change was necessary since it was not body-positive.” Black girls also deal with adults' stereotyped perceptions that they are more sexually provocative based off what they are wearing. I have been slut shamed by teachers and students for my belly button showing. We are taught at a youthful age that boys will be boys so we must adjust everything that we wear to cater to them and to prevent their fantasy’s instead of teaching them that it is acceptable to sexualize a belly button. I am aware that the dress code has certain logical and practical requirements. In conclusion all that we are asking for to feel comfortable here at Rockdale is

·        Dresses, skirts, shorts, athletic shorts, or other similar clothing must be at least mid-thigh in length. Typically, mid-thigh would be below the tip of the thumb (or fingertip length if you prefer) when placed at sides – arms straight with palms down. however, when students sit or bend over, their buttocks should not be exposed. 

·        Three finger tank top rule (The strap should be at least three fingers wide (or about two inches)

·        If leggings are worn your buttocks MUST be covered with a shirt and/ or jacket