(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Leftists are now after the dress codes used in some schools, arguing that they are sexist, racist and classist, foster a culture of “inequity” and can interfere with some kids’ access to education.
When schools returned to in-person learning after the tyrannical closures due to COVID-19, people started to protest the dress codes all around the country, including in places like Cobb County, Ga., Longview, Wa. and Sharon Hill, Pa., according to USA Today.
Last year, the Government Accountability Office found that about 93% of U.S. schools have some kind of dress code policy, about half of all schools enforce a strict dress code and about 1 in 5 schools require uniforms. Most districts ban spaghetti strap shirts, short skirts, leggings, muscle shirts, sagging pants or certain clothing colors or logos in one way or another.
The GAO report is among the first federal callouts for intervention, even though far-left groups like the American Civil Liberties Union always argued against school uniform policies.
According to the GAO’s analysis, school uniform policies make some students feel unsafe and discriminate against students of “certain” cultures and religions. The report also says that disciplining children because they violated school uniform rules in one way or another is a bad idea because it takes learning time away from kids.
The agency conducted an analysis looking at informal removals for dress code violations, responding to a request from Reps. Bobby Scott and the late Donald McEachin — unsurprisingly, both Virginia Democrats.
GAO also asked the Education Department to tell school leaders about the so-called “negative effects” that dress codes have on the so-called “equity” and “safety” of their students.
The agency also suggested that black and brown students are more likely to attend schools that have dress code rules rather than white students and that these dress code policies create “inequitable enforcement of discipline.”
“While school districts often cite safety as the reason for having a dress code, many dress codes include elements that may make the school environment less equitable and safe for students.”
