Iowa high school students think assembly dress code is sexist
Students at a Catholic secondary school in Iowa say their new assembly dress code is pretty sexist.
Top students at Dowling Catholic High School were invited to a scholastic achievement assembly to celebrate their hard work in academia. In lieu of a warm greeting to the celebratory event, female students were greeted with “slap in the face” dress code guidelines, KCCI reports.
While male students were simply told to wear dress attire, be clean shaven and “be classy,” the girls were told to adhere to four paragraphs of rules.
The opening line — “Think modesty. Your outfit should attract attention to your achievements, not your body,” the document reads.
The school’s president, Jerry Deegan, defended the document by saying the code was appropriate for this type of educational institution.
“(The school) prides itself on preparing Christ-centered leaders for life,” Deegan said. “Understandably, there is more attention given to the recommendation and guidelines for our female students, because there are more styles and options available for them.”
Contact Ashley Casper at acasper@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @TheCasperA
Dress code guidelines for the Scholastic Achievement Assembly
"Gentlemen: Dress pants, dress shoes, shirt, ties [jackets optional]. No facial hair, no earrings. Be classy."
"Ladies: Think modesty. Your outfit should attrack attention to your achievements, not your body. Choose an outfit that is pretty enough to show you are a woman and covered enough to show you are a lady.
Skirts and dresses should be no shorter than your fingertips when your arms are at your sides. Check for modesty in your skirt both standing and sitting. If your hemline draws towards your waist when you sit down, it may not be modest in a sitting position. If in question, wear tights or leggings underneath.
Tops: Shirts should draw attention to your face, not your chest. No tops that are strapless or have spaghetti straps. Your shoulders must be covered. If your top has straps, wear a sweater or shrug over the top.
Shoes: Dress shoes. If you would wear them to the beach they are not dress shoes. Be cautious of high heels as you will need to process in to the gym."
Text courtesy (KCII News 8)
