Dress Codes In Schools

Dress codes are rules that the country has utilized for years. But are these rules necessary? They often suppress students’ individuality as well as students’ self-expression. At the same time these rules also discriminate and needlessly sexualize young women. Dress codes were put in place to establish a distraction-free environment for students. And yet, they are doing the opposite, and thus, modifying or eliminating them would be most logical.

The first dress code discussion developed in the Tinker v. Des Moines case in 1969. In the case, students planned to wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. The students were informed that there would be punishments if they followed through, and when the students did, they were then promptly suspended. The students appealed the case to the
Alan's lawsuit is working its way through the courts, but he won an important victory when a federal appeals court barred the school district from enforcing the policy while the lawsuit is pending. The court indicated that the dress code is too broad—and may be unconstitutional. (Haynes)

This lawsuit is just one of many. “[I]n North Carolina, a principal told students that he wouldn't allow "gay, fine by me" T-shirts in his school. A New Jersey school banned a T-shirt with the word "redneck." And so it goes around the nation.” (Haynes). These lawsuits and more are reminders of the Tinker v. Des Moines case, but on a much smaller scale.

Dress codes are common across the nation in both large and small schools. However, they are often disputed by students for being suppressive and discriminatory. Applying dress codes to schools has been proven to deter violence. But if schools go beyond preventing violence, they can start something highly controversial. Reforming or eliminating dress codes would create a healthy and educational environment for