Parents in Clovis, California, are furious after girls were cited on the first day of school for “violating” the district’s strict dress code by wearing popular Lululemon shorts.
School officials at Alta Sierra Middle School were accused of “shaming girls for their bodies” and “gawking” at girls’ legs as they patrolled the hallways, removing students from class who were deemed not to meet the five-inch inseam requirement.
Lululemon’s trendy athletic shorts, a favorite among teen girls, typically have an inseam of just 3 to 4 inches.
“We’ve heard horror stories about administrators walking around, bending over and gawking at girls and their legs,” parent Brenna Hughes said. The Sacramento Bee.
“The girls feel very uncomfortable. They feel embarrassed and they get called out in front of their friends. Why? For wearing normal clothes?” added Hughes, who represents a group of parents who have expressed concerns about the way Alta Sierra has handled its dress code policy.
Hughes has even launched a petition on Change.org calling for “immediate modification of the Clovis Unified School District’s dress code policy, particularly regarding the current requirement of shorts with a 5-inch inseam for girls.”
Parents in Clovis, California, are furious after girls were cited on the first day of school for “violating” the district’s strict dress code by wearing popular Lululemon shorts.
School officials at Alta Sierra Middle School were accused of “humiliating girls for their bodies” and “gawking” at girls’ legs as they patrolled the hallways, removing students from class who were deemed to have not met the five-inch inseam requirement.
“The implementation of this requirement unfairly and disproportionately affects our girls compared to their male counterparts due to the scarcity of these types of garments in stores. For our sons, tailored shorts that fit the 5-inch inseam requirements are easily accessible, but for our daughters, finding these shorts is a nearly impossible task,” she wrote.
Hughes went on to write that these policies are not only uncomfortable but pose potential violations of Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools that receive federal funding.
“The current dress code inadvertently creates a dynamic where young female students are subjected to scrutiny based on their attire, which undoubtedly negatively impacts their school experience,” she added.
She suggested modifying the dress code to include a mandatory inseam of a minimum of 3 inches.
Lululemon’s trendy athletic shorts, a favorite among teenage girls, typically have an inseam of just 3 to 4 inches, well below the district’s dress code.
One Clovis Unified parent even launched a Change.org petition calling for “immediate modification of the dress code policy.”
“Such a change would not only boost the morale of our students by removing an unfair burden, but would also promote a more just and empowering environment for all,” she wrote in the petition.
“There are a lot of girls now who are afraid to wear shorts because they think the school might say they are too short.”
The school’s website describes the dress code as “part of our overall mission to prepare and equip students for success in life after high school.”
“We believe that attention to appearance and a student’s attitude toward self and school are related. Good appearance and appropriate dress are part of learning for all students,” the description continues.
‘However, we recognize that students’ manner of dress and grooming is a manifestation of their personal style and individual preference. We believe that students and parents are free to choose attire that demonstrates their individuality, as well as maintain standards of appropriateness.’
Clovis Unified says the strict policy exists to “support student safety, promote health and hygiene, prepare students for their future, and establish an education-centered learning environment.”
But parents argue the rules are having the opposite effect, undermining girls’ self-esteem during a crucial stage of their development.
The Clovis Unified School District’s policy has left many female students “traumatized” and “too terrified to wear shorts,” according to angry mothers who have banded together to fight the rules.
Clovis Unified says the strict policy is in place to “support student safety, promote health and hygiene, prepare students for their future, and establish an education-centered learning environment.”
“There are even female teachers who wear Lululemon shorts to school, and that’s fine, but girls can’t wear them?” Hughes asked.
“I have no doubt that the learning environment for students is disrupted by teachers or students wearing these shorts. We live in the Valley and it gets very hot here some days.
“What I hear from a lot of mothers is, ‘Can you relax the dress code? ‘ Because what we’ve seen with girls, especially, since a lot of them were excluded from the dress code, is that they’re traumatized.”
“Imagine doing all your back-to-school shopping in advance and then the weekend before school starts, having to return the clothes your child was so excited to wear and finding new clothes at the last minute,” Hughes said. “Those same shorts weren’t a problem last year. This year they came on the market in a very militant fashion.”