Should schools impose a dress code on parents?

When a school in Houston, Texas, announced that parents must also follow dress code
guidelines, it ignited a larger debate about appropriate attire and standards for parents across
the nation.

Principal Carlotta Brown of James Madison High School announced the new dress code guidelines for
parents and guests a day after the mother of a prospective student was denied entry to the school
because of her attire.

Wearing a T-shirt dress and headscarf, Joselyn Lewis says she was turned away by school
administrators when she attempted to enrol her daughter into the school.

When she asked to see the school's dress code rules for parents, administrators called the police.
Ms Lewis explained she was wearing the scarf as she was in the process of getting her hair done - but
felt she should not be told what to wear, regardless.

'Preparing your child'

Effective last week, James Madison High School will reject any parent or guest wearing pyjamas, hair
rollers, leggings, or a head scarf, among other clothing items.

The school declined to comment to the BBC, but the principal has continued to express support for the
measure.

In a statement, Ms Brown argued that the school expects parents to set a standard for their children, by
showing them what's appropriate and what is not.

"Parents, we do value you as a partner in your child's education. You are your child's first teacher.
However, please know that we have to have standards, most of all we must have high standards. We
are preparing your child for a prosperous future."

In a meeting on Monday, the principal also told parents that this was a successful policy at her old
school.
 The history of school uniforms
 Why did a boys' school tell women what to wear?

'A dangerous message'

The issue has received mixed feelings from parents in the community.
Shawn Rushing, a parent from the same school district, defended the new rules, saying: "It's so much
bigger than a dress code. Schools are in place to educate children, so we have to prioritise the things
that come up that appear as a distraction."

Others, like James Madison High School parent Tomiko Miller, say the new guidelines seem to
reinforce discrimination based on class, gender, and race.

"I think the language used is very explicit," she says. "It lumps everyone together and overwhelming
targets women and moms, on campus."

Ms Miller also suggested that the school give out graduation robes if school authorities perceived a
parent as too revealing, because "turning parents away sends a dangerous message".

The Houston Federation of Teachers has also weighed in.

"While we may agree that public decorum should be maintained on public schools, the implementation
of this policy was flawed," says Federation President Zeph Capo.

"It is unfortunate that a student was denied enrolment based on a dress code. Educating students
should be our priority."
A new trend?
While the debate in Texas surfaced only recently, James Madison is not the only high school
attempting to create a dress code for parents.

Lawmakers in Memphis, Tennessee, are currently trying to create a bill that will enforce dress code
guidelines for parents in districts across the state. If the bill is passed in July, it could go into effect next
year.

State congressman Antonio Parkinson has said that the policies would not be applied in a
discriminatory fashion and that he is receiving positive feedback from constituents.

But some residents have continued to push back, saying this law could prevent parent participation in
schools as some parents will not see themselves fit for these new standards.

Parents from different parts of the country have also begun to chime in, sharing their thoughts on social
media.

One mother in Indiana, who asked to be kept anonymous, told the BBC that the policies in Houston
and Memphis were "a warning that community members need to be concerned about".

"I'm opposed to these policies because it sends a message that parents must identify themselves in a
certain way and if they don't they'll be ostracized, judged and criminalized."

She continued: "The school in Houston just proved a point about a slippery slope. What's next?"

Has this happened outside the US?

Both of these recent efforts have added to a larger debate happening around the world.

In the UK, a dress code controversy involving a mother at Skerne Park Academy, a primary school, has
divided the Darlington community.

Karen Routh says she ignored the school's request for parents and students not to wear pyjamas
because she was running late.

 While the school's head teacher said this was setting a bad example, Ms Routh explained that
her priority was getting her child to school on time and was late because she didn't feel well.

 At large, dress codes in public settings - like customers in restaurants or stores - are not a new
concept. Enforcing a policy for parents, who do not attend schools however, is a more sensitive
topic.

 As the discussion continues, some argue that this controversy has larger implications about
struggles that different families face across the world, while others suggest it is a needed
standard that benefits students' education.

 The complicated balance continues to leave communities divided on whether it is an

appropriate action or schools are simply going too far.

 Are you a parent who has fallen foul of school dress code rules? Tell us using the form
below.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48127788