Michigan School Will Hand Out “Modesty Ponchos” to Girls Who Violate Prom Dress Code
With prom season in full swing, many teens attending schools with harsh dress codes are taking to social media to call them out. This week, one school in Michigan has decided to take their policies a step further with items that they’re calling “modesty ponchos,” and the students are not having it.
Prom night at Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan is set for May 12, and the school has already announced that they would be handing a colorful poncho-like piece of fabric to all of the girls who show up wearing something that the school deems too revealing, reports Fox 2 Detroit. A student told the news source that “teachers will determine whether what they’re wearing is compliant or not when they walk in the door.” She added, “I do believe the school has gone too far with this. As we walk into prom, we are to shake hands with all the teachers and if you walk through and a teacher deems your dress is inappropriate you will be given a poncho at the door.”
Fox also reports that there have been examples of the poncho placed around the school as visual aids to prepare all of the girls for the night-of. The teacher who conceived of the idea explained, “We are trying to focus on the inner beauty and not draw attention to something that doesn’t need attention drawn to it. It was really intended as a deterrent and a light-hearted one at that.” Despite the schools attempt to label it as light-hearted, many see it more as oppressive to a girl’s self-expression—not to mention hugely shaming if said student is forced to wear it night-of.
With less than two weeks left until prom, we'll have to wait and see how this particular take on dress codes for prom unfolds. If the school does decide to go through with it, however, one student told Fox that she “would refuse the poncho and go to dinner somewhere else dressed up.”
Teen Vogue has reached out to Divine Child High School for comment and will update if we hear anything.*
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