Petition to End Gender-Biased and Inconsistently Enforced Dress Code Policies in Huntsville City Schools
31 Comments
M
Mary Beth Beth Wilson
11 months ago
In 7th grade at Hampton cove middle school- first day of school all the girls were humiliated with 5 teachers telling the girls what length of shorts they should wear and each teacher had a different interpretation of shorts length and gave my daughter a lecture on modesty. Oh hell no- it is pure female body shaming - I assure you no boy was lectured. I am constantly dissatisfied with Huntsville city schools faculty for shaming girls
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Nancy Perry
11 months ago
HCS needs to treat children equal and not bully or allow bullying.
A
Anonymous
11 months ago
If we're holding girls to a certain standard pertaining to the length of shorts, then boys should be held to the same. There is a style of shorts for boys "chubbies" that are NOT fingertip length!!!
E
Emily Sizemore
11 months ago
Let girls wear shorts! Boys shouldn’t be the only ones allowed to wear shorts in this Alabama sun. Girls shorts do not go to the knee.
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Elora
11 months ago
As a student this dresscode is just so useless, of course not everyone follows it. And just the way there enforcing it is not okay i was yelled at to where i was shaking the whole rest of the period because my shorts were “too short” at my age its hard to find shorts that are even that long and that fit me right. Schools should be focusing on school fights, and school shooting, and a better education system, than a dresscode that is way less important.
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harper Watts
11 months ago
I think the dress code is stupid and we should be able to wear whatever we want to some limits but some of the things that are on it look like they’re from like 50 years ago some of it is crazy
K
Kristy Estabrook
11 months ago
As long as girls involved in cheer and volleyball are allowed to wear the uniforms which obviously don't meet dress code then, my opinion, is any other student should be allowed to wear similar. Besides every person is exposed to "skin" whether it be commercials, billboards, ads, public swimming facilities, etc.
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Cheryl
11 months ago
Featured
There is no place for gender bias in our PUBLIC school system, especially in middle school! As a strong proponent of public schools ( both children went through HCS and I taught in the system) I was thankful that our grandchildren were able to go to private school due to the inconsistency within the current system.
S
Sharon McCarthy
11 months ago
Middle school should be a place where students can focus on learning, growth, and well-being. Instead, this dress code sends a harmful message that girls’ bodies are inappropriate and must be hidden — even when they are fully covered.
We respectfully call on school leadership to:
1. Revise the dress code to ensure it is fair, gender-neutral, and practical.
2. Stop enforcing policies that shame students or prevent them from wearing clothing suited for learning and physical activity.
3. Promote equity in education by ensuring clothing rules apply equally to all students.
Our children deserve better. Education — not clothing — should be the focus in our schools.
A
Ashley Ormaza
11 months ago
Featured
Signed so the "math intervention" teacher who tried to humiliate my daughter at HJHS sees the traumatic affect her yelling had on my daughter. Hope you feel real powerful about yourself when you sleep at night knowing you made an 8th grader cry, shake and lose her appetite for lunch that day because you didn't like her shorts.
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Mandy Pope-Yeager
11 months ago
It is ridiculous that there is a dress code put in place that targets just the girls and it is solely in place so that boys won’t be distracted. I think you should focus on how the boys are acting! Their actions have nothing to do with my daughter’s clothing.
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Tylor Burke
11 months ago
Featured
100% agree. Girls are so tall sometimes as early as 5th or 6th grade, so finding shorts that are the required length is a joke, I have literally never been able to find any for my daughter who is MY HEIGHT!
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Anonymous
11 months ago
If you are going to be focusing so much on what students wear, and specifically the female students, perhaps uniforms which are gender neutral are in order.
K
Kelsey Rives
11 months ago
Its honestly so sad my child is worried about wearing her Target shorts because of the length not being long enough. Why are we sexualizing girls? That's my biggest issue. They are SHORTS and her butt is not showing.
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Katie F
11 months ago
Featured
Not only does the dress code unfairly impact girls, but is also unfairly biased against kids with sensory needs.
B
Blair Snell
11 months ago
PREACH!!!
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Anonymous
11 months ago
STOP SHAMING GIRLS FOR HAVING BODIES AND START SHAMING MEN FOR OBJECTIFYING THOSE BODIES.
J
Jessica Knight
11 months ago
Featured
As a female who was targeted due to her body shape and size even tho I followed the dress code down the the LETTER, I support this 100%. If your son cant control his glances, than it sounds like he needs t o be taught how to control himself.
C
Carolyn Davidson
11 months ago
I attended MCS for all grades but Bob Jones had the worst policies. Shoulders are not sexual in nature, nor distracting. Administration should be focused on fostering community and inclusion, not disciplining girls for outfits their gaurdians deem appropriate. Huge waste of time and resources to belittle kids.
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Nicole Whitehead
11 months ago
This petition is crucial to aid in the mental health of our students.
In 7th grade at Hampton cove middle school- first day of school all the girls were humiliated with 5 teachers telling the girls what length of shorts they should wear and each teacher had a different interpretation of shorts length and gave my daughter a lecture on modesty. Oh hell no- it is pure female body shaming - I assure you no boy was lectured. I am constantly dissatisfied with Huntsville city schools faculty for shaming girls
HCS needs to treat children equal and not bully or allow bullying.
If we're holding girls to a certain standard pertaining to the length of shorts, then boys should be held to the same. There is a style of shorts for boys "chubbies" that are NOT fingertip length!!!
Let girls wear shorts! Boys shouldn’t be the only ones allowed to wear shorts in this Alabama sun. Girls shorts do not go to the knee.
As a student this dresscode is just so useless, of course not everyone follows it. And just the way there enforcing it is not okay i was yelled at to where i was shaking the whole rest of the period because my shorts were “too short” at my age its hard to find shorts that are even that long and that fit me right. Schools should be focusing on school fights, and school shooting, and a better education system, than a dresscode that is way less important.
I think the dress code is stupid and we should be able to wear whatever we want to some limits but some of the things that are on it look like they’re from like 50 years ago some of it is crazy
As long as girls involved in cheer and volleyball are allowed to wear the uniforms which obviously don't meet dress code then, my opinion, is any other student should be allowed to wear similar. Besides every person is exposed to "skin" whether it be commercials, billboards, ads, public swimming facilities, etc.
There is no place for gender bias in our PUBLIC school system, especially in middle school! As a strong proponent of public schools ( both children went through HCS and I taught in the system) I was thankful that our grandchildren were able to go to private school due to the inconsistency within the current system.
Middle school should be a place where students can focus on learning, growth, and well-being. Instead, this dress code sends a harmful message that girls’ bodies are inappropriate and must be hidden — even when they are fully covered. We respectfully call on school leadership to: 1. Revise the dress code to ensure it is fair, gender-neutral, and practical. 2. Stop enforcing policies that shame students or prevent them from wearing clothing suited for learning and physical activity. 3. Promote equity in education by ensuring clothing rules apply equally to all students. Our children deserve better. Education — not clothing — should be the focus in our schools.
Signed so the "math intervention" teacher who tried to humiliate my daughter at HJHS sees the traumatic affect her yelling had on my daughter. Hope you feel real powerful about yourself when you sleep at night knowing you made an 8th grader cry, shake and lose her appetite for lunch that day because you didn't like her shorts.
It is ridiculous that there is a dress code put in place that targets just the girls and it is solely in place so that boys won’t be distracted. I think you should focus on how the boys are acting! Their actions have nothing to do with my daughter’s clothing.
100% agree. Girls are so tall sometimes as early as 5th or 6th grade, so finding shorts that are the required length is a joke, I have literally never been able to find any for my daughter who is MY HEIGHT!
If you are going to be focusing so much on what students wear, and specifically the female students, perhaps uniforms which are gender neutral are in order.
Its honestly so sad my child is worried about wearing her Target shorts because of the length not being long enough. Why are we sexualizing girls? That's my biggest issue. They are SHORTS and her butt is not showing.
Not only does the dress code unfairly impact girls, but is also unfairly biased against kids with sensory needs.
PREACH!!!
STOP SHAMING GIRLS FOR HAVING BODIES AND START SHAMING MEN FOR OBJECTIFYING THOSE BODIES.
As a female who was targeted due to her body shape and size even tho I followed the dress code down the the LETTER, I support this 100%. If your son cant control his glances, than it sounds like he needs t o be taught how to control himself.
I attended MCS for all grades but Bob Jones had the worst policies. Shoulders are not sexual in nature, nor distracting. Administration should be focused on fostering community and inclusion, not disciplining girls for outfits their gaurdians deem appropriate. Huge waste of time and resources to belittle kids.
This petition is crucial to aid in the mental health of our students.