Antiquated dress codes are a worse 'distraction' than girls' shoulders
Small Lake City
By Cat Palmer
In 2017, I invited teen girls who had been shamed or sent home from school for what they were wearing to participate in a photoshoot that became "I am not a distraction," an ACLU-hosted event.
A young man wearing a sleeveless T-shirt attended the shoot to support his sisters. When he told me he would be able to wear the shirt to school with no issue, I asked him to be a part of the project.
His story, and the subsequent image, was the perfect example of how bare shoulders are a "distraction" on some bodies but not others. The young man recognized the double standard, and his voice helped make an important statement that day.
That shoot was part of a movement that successfully changed some dress code policies in Utah schools. So, I was surprised just a few weeks ago, in 2023, when a friend posted on social media that her tween daughter was shamed in front of her entire class for clothing choices.
Her kid has now had her education disrupted after being sent home twice and has been embarrassed in front of her peers. And, maybe worse, my friend reports that her daughter once loved school but now dreads it because of a teacher forcing moral outrage onto her students.
Dress code enforcement is a far worse "distraction" to the learning environment than a young girl's (or boy's) arms and legs. And educators' time is better spent helping students to excel academically than policing their hemlines
I encourage parents to stand up and push back when this becomes an issue at your school. If your dress codes are outdated, say something. Our kids deserve a rape-culture-free learning environment.
Shoulders are not a distraction. Knees are not a distraction. Girls are not a distraction.
Small Lake City is home to local writers and their opinions.
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