School board’s proposed skinny jeans ‘ban’ has many undies in a bunch

School dress codes are always a minefield. But one North Carolina school board really stepped in it with a proposed new rule about how students should wear skinny jeans.

The proposal says students can’t wear skinny jeans or other excessively tight-fitting pants unless their “posterior areas” — aka bums — are covered by a top or dress.

Following the advice of a student advisory board, the New Hanover County School Board in North Carolina posted the skinny on Policy 8520 to Twitter last week to get feedback.

The news bombed. Very quickly students — and some parents — got their jeggings in a twist.

The website Watchdog.org dubbed the school district the “Nanny State of the Week.”

“Has anyone on the board gone to the actual store for teens and noticed you can’t buy anything but skinny jeans,” tweeted one student.

“The ban of skinny jeans wouldn’t work,” tweeted another. “That’s all we own so unless you’re buying us new clothes ...”

“As a mother of three daughters, shopping is a nightmare any way,” tweeted one mom. “Stop body shaming females and just put everyone in uniforms!”

School district spokesman Valita Quattlebaum told CNN the proposal sprang from faculty suggestions.

“I don’t think it was ever the intent of the board to ban jeans, per se,” deputy superintendent Rick Holliday told CNN. “It’s just a matter of what’s being considered, and in some cases, a problem that the principals and staff are seeing.”

Holliday said that school officials are trying “to stay ahead of what might be disruptive to the learning environment.” He defined “disruptive” as anything that invites unwanted attention, distractions or bullying.

Jeannette Nichols, vice chairwoman of the school board, told WECT TV6 in Wilmington, N.C., that faculty members were concerned about “bigger girls” being bullied for wearing tight jeans.

So, suggested one parent, maybe school officials should talk to students about bullying?

“The real problems here seem to be bullying and distracted young men,” wrote Watchdog.org. “Neither of those things are going away just because you tell kids they can’t wear what they want.

“Schools could require girls to wear neck-to-ankle burlap sacks to school, and the guys in class are still going to be distracted by the thought of seeing an ankle or a wrist.

“As for bullying, the solution is the same: Teach kids to stop being bullies. Telling the ‘bigger girls’ to dress differently isn’t going to stop bullying, it’s just going to change what the bullies decide to target.

“And if one of those “bigger girls” is determined to dress the way she wants — regardless of what insults are tossed her way — hey, good for her. School officials should be standing up for students’ rights of self-expression and individuality (even if that’s the last thing most public schools want to encourage), not joining the ranks of the bullies.”

The proposal will go back to a committee along with some of the public comments.

Meanwhile ...

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 2:06 PM with the headline "School board’s proposed skinny jeans ‘ban’ has many undies in a bunch."