GILBERT, Ariz. — Ira Latham never expected to be wearing a crop top and short shorts while addressing his children’s school board. But during a September meeting, that’s exactly what happened.
“Under the proposed policy this would be appropriate in a classroom,” Latham said, as he took off his shirt and pants to reveal a small crop top and short shorts underneath.
In May, the school governing board of the Higley Unified School District in Gilbert began discussions about updating its student dress code policy. The policy had not been changed since 2001.
Newly proposed rules
Some of the five board members advocated for a new, looser dress code policy, eliminating restrictions around tank tops, showing midriff and more.
The new, recommended policy said, “Clothing must cover all private body parts and/or undergarments and must not be see-through. Undergarment waistbands and/or straps that are incidentally visible under clothing are permitted; however, undergarments may not be worn as clothing.”
“These are kids. They’re not at a job and I recognize at the end of the day this is the most job that they have but we need to allow freedom,” said Amanda Wade, a governing board member.
They argued the existing policies disproportionately target female students.
“We’re saying that they need to cover up because of the way it might make someone else feel and that is wrong,” said Tiffany Shultz, the governing board president.
Other board members were in favor of maintaining a more modest dress code.
“If we are prepping our children to be college and career ready then they need to learn to be able to have self respect and that doesn’t include showing off their body parts,” said Anna Van Hoek, a governing board member.
The school board met again in August to discuss the proposed policy, and again in September.
A dramatic outfit change
Parents, like Latham, gave public comment throughout the process.
“These are my babies, these are my kids. I’m concerned about them,” Latham said. “My concerns were about preparing students for entering the workforce. Setting the right expectations having respect for other students and teachers.”
Latham spoke out at a prior meeting, but he thought he needed to make a statement to get his point across, which is why he opted for a dramatic outfit change during the September meeting.
While at the podium, Latham puled off his shirt and pants to reveal a crop top and short shorts. Latham said he purchased the clothing at a thrift store.
“The dress code that they wanted to get to is just basically a dress code for a public pool. Make sure that kids cover their underwear and that’s about it,” Latham said.
Following his demonstration, the board voted 3-2 to approve the new, more lenient dress code. Board members Tiffany Shultz, Kristina Reese and Amanda Wade voted in favor of the new policy while Michelle Anderson and Anna Van Hoek voted against it.
“It’s gonna get harder for the teachers to deal with this new policy. It’s gonna be distracting in the classroom and it’s gonna have some parents that want to pull their kids out of the district,” Latham said.
12News reached out to the Higley Unified School District via phone and email requesting an interview but so far, they have not been returned.
Source : 12 News
