The Forney Independent School District held a special board meeting on Monday in which members could discuss the new dress code adopted last week. The new code prohibits students over fourth grade from wearing dresses, skirts or skirts. All students, regardless of their grade, are prohibited from wearing a large list of items, such as sleeveless shirts, T-shirts, anything with visible patterns, spandex and nylon, anything from jeans, and any jacket or hooded sweatshirt. “Extreme” hair designs are also off the table. According to local San Antonio Q101.9 radio station, district officials said the change was necessary to boost students’ confidence, especially in those with a more disadvantaged financial situation. “The use of a school dress code has been established to improve students’ self-esteem, bridge socio-economic disparities between students and promote positive behavior, thus enhancing school safety and improving the learning environment,” the dress code states. However, students and parents said that the reasoning of the area was BS and the code was just an archaic way of controlling the way students express themselves socially. According to Dallas ABC’s WFAA subsidiary, Forney Pro-Tem Mayor James Traylor, whose daughter goes to school in the area, told attendees that “no man should tell a woman what to wear.” One parent described the ban as “shameful”, while another said they should not ask permission to allow their daughter to dress “like a girl”, the WFAA reported. One student, who filed a petition against the district dress code, protested the council’s decision by wearing a dress to the meeting. Another parent said that in addition to helping poorer families, the new code meant they would have to spend more money to buy suitable clothes. In a Facebook post asking volunteers to help with uniforms, community members did not hesitate to share their contempt. “Sounds like worship,” Kimberly Kay wrote. Mary O’Connell wondered jokingly if the uniforms replaced the “chastity belts”. “So Victorian,” he added. “My child goes to public school and it is unacceptable for a school district to prohibit wearing dresses and skirts above the knee,” said Matthew Ben-Yehuda. “Either you change the policy or my child can go home from school.” Elsewhere on social media, commentators speculated that the new code had little to do with “self-esteem” or “bridging socio-economic disparities.” “Who wants to guess who wears dresses, skirts, skirts, jeans and a hood?” a social media user wrote on Twitter. “This definitely seems to appeal to girls and non-white students.” “It is designed to prevent what they perceive as boys from wearing dresses and skirts,” another Twitter user speculated. “It’s transphobic and we all know it.” Administrators noted in the dress code that students who violate the policy will be “given the opportunity to correct the problem at school” before being subjected to an in-school suspension. They said the repeated offenses could lead to more serious consequences, but did not specify what they involved. The Forney Independent School District did not immediately respond to a request from The Daily Beast for comment Tuesday.
