Dress code update

A new student dress code has been put in place in order to address student protests and to introduce gender neutral language.

The revised dress code took effect at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. This new dress code places special emphasis on proper enforcement regardless of gender, taking into account the student protest that occurred Sept. 8, 2017.

“To make it as part of the dress code, the enforcement piece has been added to the dress code and that’s all new. It’s a kind of transparency so the kids know exactly what they’re getting themselves into if they decide to violate the dress code,” Principal Kevin Buchanan said.

There is an additional revision assuring sensitivity when dress-coding a student.

“If we have a [girl] who’s violating the dress code, there needs to be a female staff member involved in talking to [her],” Buchanan said in a previous Talon article. “If [there’s] a boy, there needs to be a guy in the room. If [there’s] a transgender student, then there needs to be somebody in there who is of the same gender identity as the student.”

This specific revision has elicited a positive student response.

“I think that the revisions are a very big step, especially the part where a student can be only dress coded by someone of their same gender,” junior Megan Johnson said.

According to Buchanan, the administration also wanted to end the gender bias that exists in many school dress codes. The administration took out the gender-specific portions of the dress code, replacing them with a statement about how the chest, back, buttocks and torso must be covered.

“What’s been removed, for the most part, are references to articles of clothing that are particularly gender-specific. Also, references to body parts that are particularly gender-specific, have been removed,” Buchanan said.

A campus supervisor, who wished to remain anonymous, provided insight into the enforcement of the dress code.

“We were given a copy of the new dress code to review. It’s in a [golf] cart,” the supervisor said.

Students in the Associated Student Body and Student Site Council were reportedly involved in the process of creating the new dress code.

The general opinion regarding the new dress code seems to be one of satisfaction that the administration addressed the major concerns of the students.

“I do believe [the administration] responded in the best way they can,” Johnson said.