The Wayne Schools Dress Code Policy is sexist and predominantly focused on dictating female clothing, using language that places blame on girls for how they dress and how people around them react. It does not reflect the more gender-neutral language that other schools have embraced and is increasingly recommended. Even businesses are taking on this issue and moving to gender-neutral policies that do not feed into gender stereotypes. This video is a great example of the issues behind many dress codes. 

There is growing literature that says dress codes are sexist and teach disturbing messages to our young women. Even the NEA is discussing the inherent sexism in these policies.

The Wayne Schools Dress Code uses coded and biased language like "modest" which stands in for telling our young women they must be quiet and demure. Or worse yet, "distracting," apparently telling our young female students they are responsible for the behavior of their classmates -- a statement shockingly similar to "it's her fault because she was wearing sexy clothing."

Note that nearly all of the bullets in Wayne's policy pertain to female clothing. Those that seem oriented to "boys" are in fact gender-neutral, such as wearing shoes or not having graphic language on tees. Surrounding those few bullets are notes about nearly every type of female shirt, even undergarments. (Girls have been spoken to for a bra strap slipping out and showing.) And terms like "revealing" and "low-cut" that are exclusively female-based. 

While individual families might debate the clothing they feel comfortable having their students wear, the subjective principles of the school dress code make it nearly impossible for young students to figure out what's safe to wear or not, all the while struggling to fit in and also express their individuality. Because of its very nature, the dress code is applied inconsistently, leaving room for staff to take issue with students' clothing based on how it fits their individual bodies. Two girls in the same shirt may not be dress-coded equally. 

This petition asks that the Wayne NJ Schools District revise the policy in keeping with more recent dialogue on the appropriate language to use and so that it is gender-neutral and less subjective. There should also be a clear process for addressing dress code concerns that keeps students from being embarrassed or singled out for their clothing in front of their peers.