Leggings debate hits Lexington. Middle school dress code leads to petition, protest.

The dress code is being “re-evaluated” at Lexington’s Morton Middle School after parents expressed concern in an online petition and on social media about students being disciplined, Scott Flowers, a Fayette middle school director confirmed Wednesday.

Lucy Nall is one of several parents speaking out about the existing dress code that was enforced more stringently earlier in the week. Nall said her daughter, who she described as “a 4.0 student” was upset after she was sent to an in-school disciplinary program, or SAFE room, earlier this week because school officials determined her t-shirt was not as long as her fingertips and she had on leggings.

Some parents said on social media that in protest, their children wore shirts with handmade lettering to school on Wednesday, including one boy who wore a hoodie that said, “Common Sense.”

Morton PTSA President Brandon Sharp told the Herald-Leader Wednesday that “the protest, as I understand it, was a very small group of students taking a stand for something they believe in. That is something that is welcomed and encouraged at Morton as long as it is done in a safe and respectful manner.”

Flowers said the school council composed of staff and parents plans to have a special called meeting Friday with a Positive Behavior committee at Morton to discuss the issue.

Sharp said that a reminder of the existing dress code, which he thought had been in place since 2017-18, was sent home with students last week and he reposted it on the PTSA Facebook page. The ‘Dressing for Success’ guidelines said that leggings, jeggings and yoga pants had to be worn with loose-fitting shirts that were finger-tip length. The guidelines say they are planned to keep “the primary focus on teaching and learning.”

“I believe the intention was to remind students and parents alike of the policies again before they began to enforce it more stringently,” Sharp said.

Nall said her daughter did not participate in the protest on Wednesday. She said earlier in the week, her daughter had on leggings and a Morton Girls’ Basketball team sweatshirt which appropriately covered her. She said her daughter’s SAFE teacher told her that her daughter would not be permitted to go back to class unless she had other clothes to wear.

She said her daughter was given a men’s large t-shirt at school to wear and “she was very upset.”

Nall said her daughter dresses modestly and has been in tears because she is afraid she will get in trouble again.

A change.org petition with more than 700 signatures by late Wednesday afternoon said “the roll out or re-enforcement of Morton Middle School’s antiquated dress code has caused numerous” female students to be sent home or sent to SAFE, the in-school disciplinary program.

“These rules are being applied and enforced in an arbitrary fashion, traumatizing decently dressed young women,” the petition said. The dress code “should avoid provisions that unreasonably target students by sex or race.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 4:42 PM.