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Suit of Shame: Dress Codes and Public Humiliation

9/9/2014

 
Picture
Sourcer: hellogiggles.com

On her third day at Oakleaf High School in Orange Park, Florida, Miranda Larkin was  stopped by a teacher and sent to the nurse’s office. Once there, she was told to change out of the clothes she wore to school that day and put on the
“dress-code-violation outfit.” Miranda was forced to wear the outfit—which consists of a neon yellow t-shirt with “DRESS CODE VIOLATION” printed across the  front in big block letters and a pair off red sweatpants with the same message running down the leg—after wearing a skirt that didn’t reach her knees, violating the school’s dress code.


“The school has said, ‘This is to embarrass you,’” Miranda told ABC News. “It’s supposed to embarrass you so you don’t do it again,” she said. “I got really upset and asked if I could call my mom. She was really upset, as well.”


In Miranda’s mom, Dianna’s mind, the school’s actions were tantamount to bullying.


“She’s a good kid,” Dianna told ABC. “She actually has a perfect disciplinary record. I’m not a rescue mom. I really do believe in punishing my kids if they do something wrong, but this is not about punishing kids. This is about humiliation.”


In a statement to ABC News affiliate WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida, a school spokesperson stated that students who violate the dress code (skirts must be knee-length or longer) are given the options to stay in their clothes and have someone bring them a new outfit, serve suspension time or wear what’s being dubbed by media outlets as a “shame suit.” Miranda claims she wasn’t given any alternate options, according to ABC News.


Dress codes are, generally speaking, largely arbitrary. One school might require that skirts reach your kneecaps, while another might say that anything beyond the edges of someone’s arms at side fingertips meets code. One might have
a “no cleavage” rule, while another might use arbitrary markers such as finger widths, palms, or some other odd unit of measurement to determine how low one’s top can be. Dress codes are disproportionately aimed at curbing young women from expressing themselves freely, and in their creation, often cite fears of distracted male students as their rationale.


Dress codes are often one of the first firm examples of body-shaming that young women face. Rather than instill a culture of respect, schools so very often tell these young women that it is their responsibility to not do something a male student might find distracting. In turn, this encourages a “boys will be boys” cultre in which boys are
provided excuses for ogling or otherwise sexually harassing their female classmates without repercussion.

Miranda had only moved to the area eight days before class began. She didn’t know that her skirt violated the school’s code. The puninshment doled out by the school served as the most public shaming of all — a scarlett letter, a
cautionary tale, and a reminder that how a woman expresses herself through clothing or makeup will forever be used to blame her for the actions of someone else.


If there’s ever to be hope that the world will no longer be so fueled by sexism, society needs to start breaking down these walls. Rather than developing and enforcing sexist dress codes for fear of someone being distracted, address those distracted. Someone’s existence—which includes their personality, their body, their intelligence, and yes, the way they express themselves in terms of fashion—cannot, in itself, be distracting. Let’s strive for a world where girls don’t have to curb who they are.




Dante abitong
9/11/2014 01:01:31 am

If a school humiliates a student for wearing clothes that make them feel good about themselves isn't that against our nation peoples rights? If I had to wear a shame suit I'd flip shit

Dom
9/11/2014 02:43:09 am

I don't believe in this at all because even boys wear provocative and distracting clothing, like pull your pants up, we don't want to see your behind, just because a woman is showing a little skin does not mean that they should be discriminated against because their body is different then a mans. The only thing that needs to change is the worlds way or think ping because it is not the girls fault that men can't control theirselves. They are the ones truly at fault, there is no blame that should be on the women because hey are dressing according to the weather and their style, we shouldn't be limiting women to a certain style of what they can and can not wear.

Connor Dagenais
9/12/2014 01:14:58 am

I think that to an extent that there are things that could be distracting to students. There will be attraction and distraction between students regardless of dress code or lack of one, and this should be recognized. If a student has violated the dress code it may be considered appropriate to have them change from the "offending" clothing, but shame outfits are wrong. As well as the fact I'm sure it must be against our and their rights in some way to force a shame outfit to be worn. Lastly, if you are aware that your school has an unfair dress code then common sense would dictate to not wear something that would break the dress code, but instead go through other channels to have the dress code changed.

Ryan
9/14/2014 08:42:44 am

We've discussed this in class, but I suppose we can give it another go here. Dress codes are wholly necessary. You need to have guidelines as to what to wear. But there are limits on both ends of the spectrum. You can't walk around with a glorified belt, but you should be forced to wear ski gear either. "It makes me feel good" is NOT a valid excuse. I will wear a skin tight belly top and a speedo to school because that's what makes me feel beautiful and well. But it doesn't make anyone else feel good.

Alice
9/15/2014 01:17:36 pm

This agravates me very very much. It's such a simple concept that people shouldn't be ashamed of their bodies, and should have the right to wear what they want.

Personally in my opinion, you should be able to wear whatever it is you want to wear and I find it surprising how so many awful excuses are used to defy this basic human right.

The most famous one being: boys will be boys. It's a classic.
Anyone can basically agree that this is awfully sexist and just a very invalid point because boys aren't some sex-crazed animals and almost every guy would agree that this point doesn't make sense to rule out an individual's choice of clothing it's absolutely ridiculous.
"It's distracting to boys. They can't help it."
I mean, many things to me are distracting in class, for example if the class is very boring I will stare at the wall of posters/drawings and admire them. I can't help it, it's distracting me from class. The picture shouldn't be blamed for being distracting. It's literally doing nothing. I'm the one being distracted, it's obviously my fault I'm not paying attention. However I don't see the school board getting rid of any pictures or posters in my class.
Oh but to deprive someone of their personal freedom of what they want to wear because it's distracting boys? Yep that's totally a valid point

The seconds point however is a little bit more valid. It's what I find parents and some teachers say. It's the " I don't want to see it" point.

For example, my one teacher literally said these words.
"Well, I don't want to see your ass hanging out of your shorts, or see your tits and your whole back being shown. That's gross and I don't want to see it"
(Sorry if this comes of as offensive or whatever, but one of my teachers literally said that when she barged into our class and interrupted it.)
In a small (very very very small) way I agree with her. I don't enjoy seeing whatever some people wear, and I would perfer if they didn't wear certain things. For example seeing plaid mixed with stripes. I don't like looking at it, but honestly if the person feel awesome, comfortable and happy I'm not going to bully them.

She offended peoples bodies and I just find that awful. In one way I was happy to know that the problem with our dress code at our school isn't "boys will be boys"
However I was sad to know that the problem was body shaming.

She made someone feel bad or insecure about their body based on her belief of how THEIR body should to be presented.

Stop bullying people and making them feel guilty for what they want to wear. It's really simple. It's not like they are wearing no clothing, they just happen not to match what your idea of what comfortable or "acceptable" clothing is.

I do believe that the school dress code exists for a reason and obviously their should be limits. People shouldn't just wear a belt and convince that it's a skirt but wearing crop tops, skirts and short shorts should not be a problem, nor should you be judged for wearing them. (Especially since basically 99.9% of stores only sell those particular things when it comes to summer cloathing.)

I just find that that school dress code absolutely abasing and discriminating. It's clinging on to rape culture, making people have more insecurities and depriving people of freedom.

However, It's also just good to remember that not long ago girls couldn't wear pants and a mans chest was just as taboo as a women's chest is now. In fact by law it was illegal for men to go topless until 1936, but people
fought for their human rights and won their freedom.
With today's society, fighting for what you believe in is encouraged which is really good. It lets our society grow for the better and this article only confirms that. It's good to know that it points out how awful the dress code at that school is and that a change should be made.

Kenneth Van Alstine
9/24/2014 12:52:55 am

I think that dress code policy is necessary, but only to an extent. If they dress code is ridiculous, it doesn't make much sense. I think the finger tip rule is reasonable. I don't think it was fair that EHS tried to ban all muscle shirts. They are equivalent to a tank top, only less revealing. As long as clothing isn't see through, I don't think it should be an issue.

The fact that this girl was shamed is sickening, let alone for something that would be accepted at almost schools. Shaming people for the way they dress is unacceptable and in my standards, a breach on my rights as an individual.

Jimmy Stata
9/24/2014 01:17:25 am

The excuse that it distracts men is pure poppycock, any decent human won't go around staring at people in inappropriate places all day, however, I feel like "it makes other people uncomfortable" is a valid argument. I'd also like to bring up another point, people who don't feel confident expressing their body might feel bad when they see others who do have the confidence. That being said, I think it's a bit extreme at times, I mean, really, you should be able to show your shoulders and belly, everyone has those, everyone sees them on a daily basis, they aren't anything new or exciting. Also, why is the dress code aloud to be lenient on Halloween but no other days? I'm not saying there should be no dress code (you could argue it prepares kids for the dress codes in the work force, but I think they get it by grade 9) but I do think dress codes are pretty extreme in many cases. I think the main reason we have issues with dress codes is because it's really hard to write down solid rules for what is and isn't appropriate, I mean, someone can be completely naked and not be sexual. I think the rule should just be "don't dress like a stripper" but because that's non-specific, I think it should be "No nips, no bits, no spillage" for all genders.


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