On Monday September 14, a boy at a high school in Dallas faced suspension for wearing a shirt with an American flag on it. Here at Geneva High School, the rules of the dress code are almost nonexistent, from the perspective of junior Katherine Flatt.

At GHS, the dress code prohibits clothes that depict images with alcohol, illegal drugs, vulgarity, or other inappropriate things, according to page 37 of the student handbook (see image). In addition, students are expected to cover their skin and undergarments.

Jaegur Goode, the student from Dallas, goes to Seagoville High School, which only allows solid-colored clothing, Fox News says.

“That type of dress code might be necessary at some schools that have a higher gang population,” Dean Reed Allison said. “I would definitely say that some of the issues that we have are people being covered up enough. That’s the one that gets referred to our office the most.”

Flatt would agree with this statement. “I see multiple girls with inappropriate shorts and tops every day,” she said. “Many girls get away with their entire stomachs showing or very short shorts…they know they won’t get called out on it.”

So is enforcement a problem at Geneva? “I think there’s always room for improvement when it goes to enforcement of rules like that,” Dean Allison said. “I think we have room to grow in that area.”

Students caught violating the dress code might have to change their clothes or wear their PE uniform until the end of the day, according the GHS student handbook. A first offense results in a warning, two offenses result in a one hour detention, and a third offense results in one Saturday School.

Allison, who has been at Geneva since 2008, says that fashion trends also tend to dictate enforcement of the dress code. “When I was in high school it was the grunge era where everybody wore flannel shirts all the time,” he said. “So it wasn’t really an issue for the people who are in my position. Now we’re seeing trends are towards less clothes being worn, and shorter shorts and things like that.”

Senior Emma McSpadden’s view of the school dress code is dominated by this “less clothing” trend. Her basic knowledge of the dress code is that “shorts can’t be too short” as well as “shoulders or too much skin can’t be showing”.

While she calls these rules “pretty fair”, McSpadden mentioned that “definitely girls” are the ones who tend to get disciplined the most for dress issues.

Flatt similarly only specified females in her expression of dissatisfaction with the dress code.

However, Dean Allison did have positive light to shed on how the students dress.
“You don’t see many people wearing inappropriate clothing as far as alcohol, tobacco [and] weapon depiction,” he said. “That’s something that I think is a positive that we have in our building.”

However, the most unjust factor of the dress code “…is towards the people who actually abide by it,” Flatt said. “I don’t think it’s fair to have someone follow the rules and dress appropriately while another dresses completely inappropriately because they know they won’t get called out on it.”

Until Flatt’s issues are addressed, Dean Allison keeps an open mind.

“I think everything needs to be treated on an individual basis,” he said. “Dress code is a tough thing.”