Wake Forest parents say dress code discriminates against tall girls
WAKE FOREST (WTVD) -- The parents of a seventh-grade girl at Heritage Middle School in Wake Forest are furious about their school's dress code policy.
They say it discriminates against tall girls. The district policy prohibits shorts too short. The school's guidelines require shorts and skirts to start where a students' middle finger hits when their hands are by their side. Jill Backus says that makes it hard for her 5'6" daughter to find shorts to wear.
"For taller girls, they have longer arms, longer legs, so that seems to be longer shorts," said Backus.
This year alone, her daughter has been what the kids call "dress coded" five times. That means according to her assistant principal, she's violated policy five times. The Backus's say it embarrasses their daughter because she gets singled out from class.
They met with the principal and assistant principal to ask them to review the measurement guideline, but say they got nowhere.
Now they're asking the district to do something. Wake County Public Schools says it will review the school's guidelines to make sure it is following the district policy and its intent, while not placing undue burdens on students and their families.
