Colton, CA—Students voiced their opinions on dress code at the student forum meeting held yesterday.  On October 5th in the Cafetorium, students were given a place to speak their mind about the code. In recent years, this policy has come under fire as more and more students complain about who it targets and how it is enforced. 

At the meeting, which included student representatives from second period classrooms across campus, participants held discussions with each other and available staff members about the policies. 

The Forum was led by assistant principal Diyaira Durham, who shared the dress code and invited students to respond to a variety of questions ranging from “What is your opinion about the dress code?” to “Should we even have a dress code?”

Students participating at the event behaved professionally as they responded to questions from administration. While the subject has been quite the source of conflict and frustration among students this year, the response in the Student Forum was measured, calm, and open.

As questions were asked, students formed groups to devise answers. Personal experiences were shared. Some felt targeted by staff members and shamed for their clothing. Others shared their frustration with the choices made by some of their peers to wear more revealing clothing.

Because of the bell schedule, the meeting ended prematurely, but Durham indicated this was not the end of the conversation, and shared that more opportunities would arise to continue discussion.

After the meeting, several students shared their specific thoughts and concerns about the school’s dress code. Many girls were concerned about what they see as a double standard related to gender.

Junior Natalie Lopez shared her issue: “I’ve seen males that have worn the same thing that females have and they had nothing done to them.”

Senior Destiny Verduzco had a similar problem. “Some guys will wear shirts and they’ll crop them themselves and not get dress-coded.”

Assistant Principal Durham is sympathetic to the idea that the dress code has sexist implications. “We’re moving into a society and culture that is, hopefully, more, I don’t want to say tolerant, but more accepting of differences in gender,” she said. “When I think about dress code, I think about it being targeted towards a particular gender. That’s problematic because I don’t think it even acknowledges the diversity of genders that we do have here. So it’s limited just in language itself.”

Durham was also concerned about the psychological impact the dress code has on students. “If we’re talking about girls feeling more targeted, then that has a negative impact on how they see themselves,” she said.

The meeting was seen as a step in the right direction for change at Colton High.