Apparently, 14-year-old Toni Kay Scott's parents thought that her school's explicit dress code - which has been in effect for 10 years and is spelled out in the school's policy statement - applied to everyone but their daughter. The Scotts, along with the A.C.L.U., are suing Redwood Middle School and the Napa Valley School District for "unconstitutionally vague, overbroad and restrictive uniform
dress code policy.''
Young Toni Kay, now an 8th grade honor student, has been "dress coded" (i.e. punished for dress code violations) 12 times in the last year and a half, but that hasn't stopped her from wearing shirts with logos and slogans on them, pink sneakers, and socks with Tigger on them. Granted, these all seem like petty, insignificant offenses - and they are. But Toni Kay is a repeat offender, more than occasionally disregarding her school's explicit policy of solid color clothes/backpacks only, and no pictures, words, symbols
or patterns. She takes time away from students and teachers by doing so. She wastes the school's resources every time someone has to sit with her in detention. And for what? The right to wear some Disney store sale rack socks? Please.
The Scott family and the A.C.L.U. say the dress code "flouts state law, violates freedom of expression, and
wastes teachers' and students' time and attention that would be better spent on
education." The school district says "[The rules] ensure the
safety, and protect the instructional time, of all students." The district also sites the fact that kids are on a level social playing field in uniforms. The school principal says "You cannot tell on my campus the kids that come from a low-income
family.''
I just don't get why this is such a big deal. They're school uniforms, not iron maidens. Parents of middle schoolers - how do you feel about the uniform controversy? Hate 'em or love 'em? Why?
