‘Poorly written’: Officials from Mississippi school district respond to dress code controversy as uproar continues – Magnolia State Live

As uproar continues from dad and mom and college students, the Oxford Faculty District says lower than 2 % of scholars have been cited for gown code violations through the first three days of college.

The Oxford Faculty District responded to Oxford Excessive Faculty college students and oldsters with a press release on Friday amid controversy over OHS’ dealing with and enforcement of the district gown code.

This previous week, college students and their dad and mom have expressed concern over OSD and Oxford Excessive Faculty’s dealing with and enforcement of the district’s gown code, calling it unfair, irregularly enforced and biased in the direction of feminine college students.

In an official message, OSD Superintendent Bradley Roberson aimed to supply households with a greater understanding of the state of affairs.

“Before everything, our directors and lecturers love and assist our college students,” mentioned Roberson. “Whereas there was lots of focus and a spotlight on gown code enforcement, it has truly concerned a small variety of college students.”

OSD information report was issued reflecting the approximate variety of occurrences from Tuesday-Thursday through which college students had been requested to alter their apparel as a result of gown code violations:

• At Oxford Intermediate Faculty, 25 college students had been requested to alter out of 1,053 alternatives (351 college students per day for 3 days).
• At Oxford Center Faculty, 20 college students had been requested to alter out of two,136 alternatives (712 college students per day for 3 days)
• Oxford Excessive Faculty 75 college students had been requested to alter out of 4,068 alternatives (1356 college students per day for 3 days).

Secondary college students have been in compliance with the gown code 98.3% of the time, the assertion mentioned.

Any occurrences or gown code violations up to now week weren’t documented within the scholar data system, PowerSchool, giving college students and lecturers a grace interval to know the norms and expectations, mentioned Roberson.

“As of 9:00 am [Friday], principals proceed to report fewer violations than the day earlier than,” Roberson acknowledged. “The executive group is in every day communication throughout campuses relating to gown code enforcement. Our purpose is to proceed to refine our course of and set up consistency whereas addressing college students as discreetly as attainable.”

Although the violations usually are not recorded, college students had been reportedly faraway from class and despatched to the principal’s workplace, the place they had been made to attend for his or her dad and mom to deliver a change of garments. If college students had been unable to alter, they had been despatched dwelling or given detention.

Jake Ott is a kind of dad and mom talking out in opposition to the implementation of the gown code modifications.

His daughter and a number of other different feminine college students had been detained as quickly as they entered the college campus and made to alter garments.

“I like the thought, spirit and intent behind a gown code. I like the thought of equal and goal enforcement of a gown code. I like the thought of uniforms,” he mentioned. “Nevertheless, we should have an goal code as a way to accomplish these issues appropriately.”

Ott mentioned the timing of modifications is a essential a part of the difficulty. “Sadly, faculty has began, and the district despatched a ‘truth test’ discover to households six weeks in the past stating that there could be no change to the code, no change in its enforcement and never even a dialogue of both. Households, pals, prolonged households and charities in our space have already spent their respective budgets on again to highschool garments primarily based off earlier years and the June letter,” he mentioned.

“For the district to state that there could be no change to the subjective, obscure, ambiguous and arbitrary code; no change in its enforcement; and to not actually have a dialogue about altering both six weeks in the past, the timing of their (seemingly) unilateral about-face to uncompromising enforcement of essentially the most restrictive interpretation of this poorly written code looks like an bait and swap beneath the guise of not distracting teenage boys,” he mentioned. “It doesn’t actually ring of transparency or honesty to those ears.”

Like others, Ott wish to see the district pause implementation of modifications. “It is a nice alternative for the district to stroll this again and have interaction with the group, lecturers, dad and mom and college students to reach at an appropriate answer for everybody,” he mentioned. “We are able to take a pair months and get one thing collectively so that individuals know what to buy when it’s time to Christmas store for the 2023-24 faculty yr. Definitely, we have to know earlier than faculty is out for summer season break.”

In accordance with OHS senior Kanalu Avery, the administration has a historical past of sexist code enforcement that has solely turn out to be extra blatant with the brand new administration.

“OHS defends their guidelines and intense punishments — instant detention if you’re unable to alter garments — by claiming it’s to guard women from being sexualized and keep away from classroom disruption,” Avery mentioned. “It’s fully unsuitable to imagine that male college students even care. There’ll at all times be unhealthy apples in a highschool, no have to punish the bunch for his or her transgressions.”

“We got here right here to study, to not be objectified by the identical individuals we’re anticipated to respect,” he concluded.

Winnie Wilson, scholar physique president and The Charger Editor-in-Chief, printed an opinion editorial on The Charger web site discussing the subjective nature of the gown code and lack of consistency.

Wilson mentioned the op-ed has acquired lots of good suggestions.

“Lots of not solely Oxford Excessive Faculty college students but in addition the Oxford group, particularly dad and mom, have applauded my op-Ed and have mentioned it sums up nearly all of the problems,” she mentioned. “I’ve solely acquired assist and applause, no unfavourable suggestions.”

OHS’ senior class of 2024 reportedly created an internet petition in opposition to the present gown code which at the moment has over 1,200 signatures from college students and oldsters.