This school year, Hayes updated the dress code in the Student Code of Conduct in the best interest of students and staff. The goal was to make the code easier to enforce and fair for all students.
With about 1,650 students at Hayes, the dress code is nearly impossible for staff to fully implement. Violations of the code occur daily, so it was important when revising the Code of Conduct to narrow it down to include the essentials.
For the past few years, students have been banned from wearing pajamas to school. With the changes, this rule has been removed from the Student Handbook. People wear many different things as pajamas, so dress coding students for wearing them was too difficult.
“What are pajamas?” Assistant Principal Jean Trimble said. “Are they the flannel pajama bottoms? Are they sweatpants? Are they shorts? People wear different things as pajamas.”
The other main revision was a change in the wording, which aimed to make the rules gender non-specific. Terms such as “spaghetti straps” and “halter tops” were removed and were made broader, such as “tops must have shoulder straps.”
“I like that it changed to gender-neutral terms because I do feel as though a lot of dress codes are targeted specifically to women, and that’s even the case in professional wear,” English teacher Emily Gilles said.
A common concern about high school dress codes is that they are biased, specifically towards females, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Updating the wording was a way to help solve this issue, and make the rules equal for all.
However, the change is not enough for some students who are still concerned about equality at Hayes.
Sophomore Sunny Brewster said she felt the dress code was unfair because the same clothes can look different on varying body types.
“Not everybody is built the same, and [people] can’t really control that,” Brewster said.
Brewster has had personal experience getting dress-coded this school year. She was wearing a mini skirt and was told by a male teacher that it was too short. He took her to the main office, where Trimble told her her outfit was appropriate.
“[The situation] made me uncomfortable,” Brewster said.
For many Hayes staff, the opposite side of the exchange is not preferable either.
“Nobody wants to call out a student on what they are wearing,” Trimble said.
Putting feelings aside, the dress code is mandated in order to keep the Hayes community safe. Certain accessories, such as hoods and sunglasses, are banned so students are recognizable in cameras. If a dangerous situation were to occur, staff need to be able to see who was at the root of the problem.
The code also aims to protect students from potential embarrassment. The first guideline in the “Dress” part of the Student Code of Conduct states that “clothing must fit properly.” The rule was imposed to keep clothing on students and to prevent any unwanted incidents.
“We don’t want it falling off of you,” Trimble said. “We don’t want somebody coming up and pantsing you. I actually saw that happen in the hallway a week ago.”
To make sure the code stays relevant, the assistant superintendent inspects the Code of Conduct annually. Staff are asked for their input on the issue, and the assistant superintendent has final say.
When considering improvements, Hayes compares the dress code to those of other school districts that are a part of the North-East Ohio Learning Associates. Otherwise known as NEOLA, the group acts as an influence watch and educational consultant to 1,500 school boards in six states. Each school within the NEOLA is required to follow similar wording and rules for their codes of conduct.
By doing so, ideas from other schools inspire changes to make the code widely consistent.
High school dress codes are not always perfect, and they are a sensitive topic. While the code at Hayes is not always praised, it intends to be in the best interest of students.
If students are curious about what will actually get them coded, Trimble has a tip.
“[This] should be the guiding factor,” Trimble said. “When you look at your fit, would I be okay with Mrs. Trimble wearing this? If the answer is no, then maybe change.”
