A seventh grade student in Napa, California, is part of a lawsuit alleging that her school's dress code is "unconstitutionally vague and too restrictive." The policy requires students to only wear solid colors, specifically blue, white, green, yellow, khaki, gray, brown, and black. Fabrics that are permitted are cotton twill, corduroy, and chino. Denim is not allowed. This kind of sounds like a uniform to me.
The dress code forbids students to wear certain colors and apparel with writing, insignia, pictures, words and letters. It was largely intended do away with gang-related and other provocative symbols. John Glaser, the district superintendent, said the policy was eight years old and had been reviewed for relevance during the 2005-06 school year.
Toni Kay Scott, 14, was sent to an in-school suspension program called Students With Attitude Problems last year for violating a dress code, according to a lawsuit against the Napa Valley Unified School District and Redwood Middle School.
She had donned socks with the Tigger character from the Winnie the Pooh cartoons on them, along with a denim skirt and a brown shirt with a pink border.
Ms. Scott has been reprimanded or cited for dress code violations about 12 times in the past year and a half, most recently in February. In one instance, she said, she had been sent home for wearing a drug prevention T-shirt.
Rules are rules. Of course, Tigger socks are cute, but if you let one student get away with exceptions to the dress code, anything goes after that. Kids are quick to point out what others are wearing at school. The lawsuit is questioning if this set of rules violates the California Education Code.
There are many jobs that require very specific dress codes. You cross the line, and you look elsewhere for employment. There are other ways to express yourself besides wearing cutesy socks.