Students protested Turlock Unified dress code, then helped draft new one. What does it allow?
A few months after Turlock high school students protested their dress code for unfairly targeting females, school officials drafted a new policy — and for the first time, they invited students to help.
The proposed revisions presented at a Tuesday school board meeting permit hats, pajamas, crop tops and spaghetti straps. The policy is gender-neutral, reflecting students’ requests for a dress code that is enforced consistently and promotes a positive body image, director of student services Gil Ogden said at the meeting.
“We wanted an equity-driven dress code,” Ogden said.
The board will vote on the policy Oct. 4, Ogden said. If approved, it will be implemented Oct. 11, the first day of Turlock Unified School District’s second quarter.
Students at Pitman and Turlock high schools protested the district’s dress code in May after a senior was suspended for wearing a crop top paired with high-waisted leggings, The Bee previously reported. Current fashion trends for young people include high-waisted bottoms and a cropped shirt, exposing a line of skin in between.
An online petition calling on the school board to reform the dress code has amassed more than 3,500 signatures.
In the petition, students accuse school officials of disproportionately targeting females by banning apparel that “distracts from the learning environment,” including crop tops, tube tops, spaghetti straps, form-fitting skirts and more.
“This is 2021. If male students cannot study or learn without ‘distraction’ because a female student’s shoulder or leg is visible, we have more serious problems on our hands,” the petition reads.
Ogden said the school board heard complaints from parents, teachers, staff and administrators, too.
In mid-June, administrators met to discuss revising the policy, according to the school board presentation. Ogden said they researched other schools’ dress codes in addition to recommendations from the Office for Civil Rights, American Civil Liberties Union and National Organization for Women.
School officials implemented an interim dress code before the school year started in August. This was followed by forums at all six middle and high schools to gauge students’ thoughts on the purpose of a dress code and the details a policy should include. More than 50 students, staff and administrators participated.
“It was a very open and collaborative process,” Ogden said.
Students in the forums said they wanted to wear comfortable clothing, and also clothing they could wear to a job, Ogden said. They argued a dress code should exist to foster a safe school environment and establish expectations for how students present themselves.
As a result of the feedback, staff will be trained on how to enforce the new policy in a respectful manner that’s consistent for all students, Ogden said.
“We don’t want to see any body shaming,” he said.
Details of new dress code
The revised code requires students to wear shoes, clothes that “appropriately cover personal body parts” and secured tops and bottoms that cover the body, according to the presentation.
Students may choose to wear hats, including beanies, hoodies and religious head coverings. Religious garments were previously allowed.
Students can wear comfortable clothing, like sweats and yoga pants, and clothes suitable for a job.
They can wear spaghetti straps, leggings, crop tops, bike shorts, skirts, pajamas, ripped jeans and tank tops. They cannot wear tube tops, bathing suits and slippers.
Students can’t wear bralettes, bandeaus and sports bras alone, but it’s OK if they’re visible beneath shirts, Ogden said. Backless shirts aren’t allowed, according to the presentation.
Students also can’t wear clothing bearing offensive words or images, hate speech, profanity, pornography, drugs, alcohol, violence, sex or racist or sexist sayings.
If students openly violate the policy, they will choose whether to change into clothing provided by the school site, switch into personal clothing stored on campus or contact a family member to bring an alternate outfit, Ogden said.
“The loss of class time should be avoided or kept to a minimum with this plan,” Ogden said.
The school board’s student representatives applauded the revisions. Pitman High School student Bella Kern said the old dress code was outdated. The new one gives students more freedom to express themselves.
“Right now, how we dress reflects our personality,” Kern said.
Selecting an outfit is a means of independence, said Turlock High School student Kate Ogden, who is Gil Ogden’s daughter. She expects the policy to bridge gaps between students and staff, she said.
This story was originally published September 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
