Speaking on behalf of the student group Grady Feminists For Dress Code Reform, senior Conor Loveless read aloud a key portion of the group’s reform platform at a public meeting Wednesday afternoon in the Grady theater.  The meeting focused on creating a dialogue between students and administration about concerns over the APS dress code policy and its enforcement at Grady.

“Dress code should be enforced equally regardless of the gender, race or body type of the violating student,” Loveless read.

Loveless pointed out that the shorts he was wearing violated the dress code. He said he was not dress coded at school that day and stipulated that if he were a girl he would have been punished.

The meeting took place at 4 p.m. in the Grady theater before a crowd of around 50 Grady students, parents and teachers. It was scheduled a week ago after students protested the dress code by putting up signs around the school criticizing the dress code. Principal Timothy Guiney, assistant principals Rodney Howard and David Propst and communications and journalism academy leader Carrie MacBrien facilitated the meeting.

At the meeting, the student group presented its platform which petitions for a more lenient dress code policy, a less severe punishment for policy violations and a change in the mentality behind the enforcement. They ask that students be treated “with respect regardless of the clothes they wear” and not miss class due to a dress code violation. They also ask that students be allowed to wear shorts with a three inch inseam, skirts and dresses that reach mid-thigh, leggings and tank-tops.

“We believe the following ideals [outlined in our platform] are not being upheld at Grady, and petition for changes to be made so that these ideals will be upheld,” sophomore Camille Williams read at the meeting.

According to sophomore Aungelique McGhee, a member of Grady Feminists For Dress Code Reform, their petition gained 164 signatures in the two days prior to the meeting.

Guiney handed out packets with information on the APS dress code guidelines to attendees. He pointed out that the Grady dress code and punishment for dress code violations must align by the APS Student Handbook.

The handbook states that “all students shall dress appropriately so as not to disrupt or interfere with the educational program or the orderly operation of the school.” It outlines certain clothing that would be inappropriate such as “short-short” or see through clothing, “bare midriffs,” and tank tops, but does not set specific rules.

“By design these may be subjective,” Guiney said on the APS guidelines. “… I believe to some degree we [the Grady administration] could do a better job defining [the dress code at Grady].”

In the APS Student Handbook, dress code violations are categorized as a level two offense or an intermediate act of misconduct. Other level two offenses include stealing or damaging property under $100, inciting a fight and being under the influence of drugs or alcohol on school grounds.

Punishment for breaking the dress code is in-school suspension (ISS). A first offense violation of the dress code warrants one day of ISS unless the dress code violation is corrected. A second offense is three days of ISS or one day if the violation is corrected, and the third offense is five days of ISS. Any violation after the third offense results in a hearing with the Disciplinary Hearing Tribunal which decides the amount of time the student is placed in suspension.

Guiney recognized student concern over punishment for dress code violations, and committed to looking over and addressing the platform further in the future.

“If my daughter was expressing herself and got a second offense ISS, and I got a call that she got three days of ISS, I would be concerned,” Guiney said. “ … We want an environment that is equitable but also a dress code that works for everybody.”

After the representatives from both the Grady Feminists For Dress Code Reform and the administration spoke, Guiney took questions from the crowd. The meeting ended at 5 p.m.

“Students came away from today’s forum satisfied that Grady administration seriously considered their platform and wants to make change as well,” the student group posted to its Facebook page.

According to junior Grace Hawkins, a member of the student group, progress has been made.

“We didn’t have any of our proposals specifically agreed upon but we did have Mr. Guiney show us respect and seriously consider what we were saying,” Hawkins said.  “… We had the administration actually hear us. We had people in the administration want to reach out and help.”

Read more about the initial protests on The Southerner Online: https://thesoutherneronline.com/frontpage/?p=59442

Stay tuned for a full story on the meeting and the student protests that led to it including more student perspectives.