LYNNFIELD — An energetic and determined group of Lynnfield Middle School students is pushing to change the school’s dress code, claiming it is selectively enforced and directly solely toward girls.
Based on a video presentation that rising freshmen Maeve Donovan and Emma Rose presented to the School Committee, they may be onto something.
“I applaud you for the work you did on this. We will review the dress code. Your point is the actual enforcement,” School Committee Vice Chair Stacey Dahlstedt said, noting the district needs to make sure any dress code is enforced discreetly and consistently.
The video shared several students’ experiences with the dress code and how it is enforced. Students also shared their opinions and made a pretty strong case that their claims may spot on.
“Many of us, many of my friends over the last years have had experiences with the dress code, so we are not alone,” said Ella Hayman, the daughter of committee member Jamie Hayman.
She said the group was inspired to come to the School Committee because of a recent incident she and many of her classmates observed in class when three girls were told to change or cover up.
“A teacher said that just because it’s getting warmer doesn’t mean we can wear more revealing clothes,” Hayman said. “None of the girls were wearing anything inappropriate. The dress code is directed only at girls so there is unequal enforcement and if there are violations, they should be told in private.”
“It’s inequitable,” Rose said. “It’s unfairly enforced toward female students and unfairly enforced.”
Rose went on to say that a male parent has worn a white tank top “at least twice” to school this spring.
“He was not told to cover up or change, but female students’ clothing continues to be examined in front of classmates, including girls wearing similar tank tops being asked to cover up,” she said. “Like males, females are here to learn and grow and shouldn’t have to worry about outfits being a distraction.”
Donovan objected to teachers’ claims that girls create a distraction when they wear tank tops.
“Neither causes distractions and in fact, are more comfortable in the first and last two months of the school year as the second floor has no air conditioning,” she said.
Ciara Long felt it was unfair and unhealthy to be sending messages to girls as young as nine or 10 that their bodies are distracting.
“It sends a bad message, which causes girls that age to be self-conscious about their bodies,” Long said. “Nobody should be singled out for their gender.”
Student Lily Rocco expressed her concerns about how the dress code is enforced, saying she was “dress-coded” in front of the whole class.
“It was embarrassing and I felt so insecure. All I could think about was what people thought of me,” she said.
Students Bella Shrewsbury and Ellie Grieves agreed that the code, as written, makes it easier for boys to comply because it’s harder to buy girls’ clothes that fit the code.
“It’s hard to find clothes that fit the dress code, and the teachers have different ideas interpreting the dress code,” Grieves said. “Nobody should be forced to wear something that brings down their confidence.”
Following the presentation, the duo proposed a new dress code that banned clothing containing slogans; profanity; displays of alcohol, drugs or sexually-suggestive material; clothing or jewelry depicting racial, ethnic, religious or sexual-orientation slurs; “underwear worn as outerwear,” sleepwear, and beachwear.
School Committee Chair Rich Sjoberg said he plans to consider the students’ new dress code proposal.
“I never knew that ‘dress-coded’ is now a verb and I intend to take this to the Policy Committee with Stacey (Dahlstedt) and review it over the summer, then come back before the school year with adjustments,” he said. “Bravo.”
