This 6th-Grader Was Publicly Shamed for Wearing a Denim Skirt to School
Brace yourselves, because the latest school dress code controversy to go viral on Facebook will absolutely enrage you: Last week, a 12-year-old in South Carolina was sent to her school's office after a teacher called her out in front of a group of friends, saying her skirt was too short and it made her look like she should "be clubbing," TODAY reports.
After being publicly shamed in the hallway, Reese Franyo went to the principal's office at Moultrie Middle School, where she called her mom, Suzie Webster, and asked her to bring a change of clothes. When Webster arrived, Franyo's skirt (an A-line denim piece from H&M) was measured in front of the principal - and found to be exactly five inches above the knee, just as the school dress code policy requires.
Even though the principal told Franyo she could continue to wear the skirt, she was too embarrassed and opted to change into the pants her mother had brought. Angered by the incident, her mom took to Facebook to Franyo's story. The post has since gone viral, with more than 900 shares and more than 200 comments.
In her post, Webster explained that she and her daughter are aware of the school dress code policy, and they shop together to find pieces that will be considered appropriate according to school guidelines. But what bothered her most about this incident was not that this particular piece of clothing had been called out, but how her daughter was addressed - and why her daughter's principal was able to justify it.
"While Reese was changing, her principal started to explain to me that it was necessary to closely monitor the girls' attire because boys at this age get very distracted by the girls and their appearance," she wrote in her post. "This is the exact problem with society today. SO MY DAUGHTER WAS EMBARRASSED, HUMILIATED IN FRONT OF HER PEERS AND MADE TO FEEL LIKE A BAD GIRL BECAUSE BOYS CAN'T CONTROL THEIR DIRTY THOUGHTS!"
On Franyo's birthday - just the day after the skirt incident - Webster took to Facebook once again. This time, she wished her daughter a happy birthday and encouraged others to advocate for better dress code enforcement policies:
Thank you to the overwhelming amount of support for Reese. We have received comments and messages from all over. Today is Reese's birthday, and she is wearing her skirt again today (her choice, not mine). Please know that it is not my intention to hurt Moultrie Middle School or Principal Ryan [Cumback], but merely to draw attention to how important it is to raise our girls up and fill them with confidence. I do understand the need for a dress code, but there is a better way to handle enforcement. Let's keep working on this together in a fierce, but positive way.
A spokesperson for the Charleston County School District told TODAY that the Moultrie Middle School principal, Ryan Cumback, has "addressed and corrected" the teacher who made the "clubbing" comment to Franyo.
[h/t TODAY]
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