When I carefully planned my outfit for free dress day, I never imagined my denim shorts and tank top would be labeled distractions. Instead I was told it was distraction for my male counterparts. My parents approved of my outfit, so the principal's dismissive warning, "One time only, else," left me feeling hurt and belittled. Girls at our school are told our clothes are distractions, which is a creepy and horrible thing to hear.
My goal is to reform our school's dress code so that students—not their attire—are the focus of our education. We need fair, gender-neutral guidelines based on safety and school pride rather than subjective standards of modesty.
When I interviewed girls from my counseling class, they shared how unfair the current system feels:
- Girl A: "Very biased! The boys sag all the time even though they're not supposed to. We're so tired of being called 'distractions.'"
- Girl B: "I've experienced so many flags. Shorts are bound to be shorter on taller and wider girls than short or skinny girls."
- Girl C: "We can't control what happens to us and our bodies. I heard the boys say creepy and weird things about us."
It is exhausting to be treated like objects, and these double standards prove our dress code enforcement is flawed. It is especially alarming that 2nd and 3rd graders are being flagged when they are just children. When my relative comes to this school, I want her to have the best experience possible, not the worst.
