Life is difficult when you are a teenager and sometimes, you may find yourself in the middle of a very strange situation. Sometimes, the parents may also get involved and that is what happened in northern California.
Tony Alarcon received a phone call one day and he didn’t give it much thought. In fact, he thought it was a telemarketer but when he picked up, he found out it was the school where his daughter, Demetria, attended.
He was understandably worried about his daughter but when he found out the situation, he couldn’t believe that it was actually an issue. Considering the fact that the temperatures were up to 90° in northern California that day, he didn’t think much about it when he dropped his 13-year-old daughter at school in a blue romper.
Demetra is a student at Raymond J. Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos, California. She was dressed appropriately for the weather in a blue romper, but the school didn’t feel that it was appropriate.
A teacher at the school felt that the outfit was too distracting for the boys. When the father was told that the romper was too short, Tony took in a change of clothes for her, including a tank top and Jean shorts. He was then told that they were inappropriate.
In speaking with TODAY, Tony said: “I asked Demetra to bend over and touch her toes, right in front of the administrator, And I said, ‘Nothing is hanging out. There’s nothing inappropriate. I don’t understand this dress code rule.”
The school, however, felt the outfit was distracting so he had to return to his car to get a pair of leggings. Demetrio was humiliated.
Tony said: “You get pulled out of class in front of everyone…She’s just a kid. She’s just 13. She’s not a sex symbol. She just wants to be comfortable and attend class and we’re not affording her that opportunity.”
This isn’t the first time that Demetra was dressed coded at school. A week before, she had a visible bra strap that caused difficulties.
Tony was not about to take this lying down. He felt that the policy was unfair and targeted girls disproportionately. He went on social media to discuss what had happened and support began to come in from parents around the country. They felt that the school’s dress code was sexist and outdated.
As the situation continued to gain more attention, replies came in from the school district. One said: “The Los Gatos Union School District believes that appropriate dress and grooming contribute to a productive learning environment. Students are expected to wear clothes that reflect the collective core values of our learning community.”
Eventually, the school district did reevaluate the dress code and said that would be less restrictive for all students. The principal of the school said that the fashion faux pas guidelines were applicable to both boys and girls. Some other things that were not allowed included hats or hoods indoors, visible underwear, inappropriate words or logos, and shorts with less-than-4-inch inseams.
The principal said that there has always been a dress code. She said: “These are standards for reasonable decorum. I do reserve the right to set guidelines for the school, but I want to lead with the pulse of the community and reflect the community’s core values.”
