‘Lined up like a cattle call.’ Scott parents angry over middle school leggings policy

Several angry Scott County parents took their daughters home early Friday when they were pulled from class and found in violation of dress codes after being allowed to wear leggings in a pilot program.

Parents from Scott County Middle School spoke out on social media. In response to multiple news stories, school district officials acknowledged that “improved communications” would have helped parents understand the temporary change.

Parent Whitney Smith told the Herald-Leader the principal made an announcement at school about a trial run allowing girls to wear leggings each Friday the month of February. She said her daughter waited all week to wear that specific hoodie because she knew it would be long enough to wear with her leggings.

“Approximately 15-20 minutes after dropping my daughter off at school, I received a phone call from her saying she was dress coded,” said Smith. “She said they pulled every girl wearing leggings into the hallway .... to meet the principal. The principal then made them write their names down. My daughter said there began to be so many girls lined up that they had to move to them to the gym.”

“When I arrived at school there were parents lined out of the foyer entrance. Some parents brought a change of pants and some parents took their children home for the day because they were so upset. I saw many girls leaving and they were dressed just like my daughter,” she said

Smith was upset because she said her daughter was pulled out of homeroom and missed her first hour class. Smith’s daughter returned to class but several other parents picked their daughters up early.

Smith said “parents are coming together so this doesn’t happen again to any girl.”

Scott County Schools spokeswoman Renee Holmes did not immediately comment Saturday but released a statement to the Courier-Journal and other news outlets Friday. She said the school decision making council decided to permit students to wear leggings each Friday in February as a pilot as long as other dress code guidelines were followed.

“No students were required to leave school as a result of dress code today, though some chose to do so and were signed out by their parents,” Holmes said in that statement. “We understand that this is an important topic for families and improved communication of guidelines would have helped parents better understand this temporary change.”

Parent Manika Musgrove told the Herald-Leader the issue came to light Friday since this was the first full week back to school since the holiday break.

“The young ladies have been requesting to wear leggings most of the year since the other middle schools and high schools are allowed to wear them except for Scott County Middle School,” Musgrove said.

She said school officials told the girls that they can wear leggings as long as the top they wear with them is “finger tip length.”

“Then I receive a text from my daughter saying the teachers have lined them up with their hands by their sides and send them to the office for dress code violations,” she said.

“Haven’t our kids (had) enough to deal with the past three years with COVID much less lined up like a cattle call and sent to the office?” Musgrove said.

She said “girls were crying” and many parents just brought them home instead of making them change.

Eighth grader Madison Easterling told the Herald-Leader she worked hard to get the dress code changed for months and she was a “proud” Scott County Middle School student.

“I don’t know why Friday happened the way it did but it broke my heart, especially because I worked so hard for leggings,” said Madison. “It was just so we can wear leggings and be comfortable. I just want the choice to wear leggings -- that is all. I will continue to work on this for a solution with absolute respect to my school and to my teachers.”

Student Kelsey Davis told the Herald-Leader’s news partner WKYT-TV that, “most girls started crying because it was really humiliating.”

Parent Brandy Heath Sutton in a Facebook post estimated that approximately 200 girls were found in violation of the school dress code when they had a trial day to wear leggings.

“What is wrong with my child’s outfit?,” Sutton asked. “I checked her before she left and I dropped her off. Then had to go back and pick her up! These girls got sent to the gym and humiliated by staff over leggings!”

She said some girls found in violation were wearing shirts nearly to their knees.

Girls wearing leggings has also previously created controversy in Fayette County schools. In 2020, parents and students were upset when girls were disciplined over wearing leggings at Morton Middle School.

This story was originally published February 12, 2022 at 12:13 PM.