Thursday, September 23, 2004

Fashion Crimes

Parental outrage can be a terrible thing. I have been known to enter an utterly psychotic state in under 10 seconds when it comes to children and an abuse of authority from others but I just can’t get the meter to move on this one.

An outraged father of a seventh-grader says an assistant principal duct-taped his son's pants to keep them from sagging then sent him back to class.

Scott Allison told the Concord School Board on Monday that his 12-year-old son, Spencer, said last week that a teacher asked him to lift his shirt after she noticed the boy's underwear was showing above his pants, a violation of Concord Junior High School's dress code.

She sent him to Assistant Principal Patricia Walters, who told Spencer to pull up his pants and tuck in his shirt, Allison said."She then proceeded to duct tape his waist, three times around the waist," said Allison. "Then she sent him back to class, in front of his peers."

It makes me want to send the Assistant Principal flowers and have her picture installed in school lunchrooms across the country for inspiration.

I suppose I should count my blessings, the Last Amazon’s taste in males runs to clean-shaven guys in combats with big guns and body armor. Isaiah likes his hair cut high and tight with his pants belted at the waist. Montana’s idea of a fashion statement is the dress uniform of a United States Marine.

2 comments:

Babbling Brooks said...

Sounds like you've done your job. Too bad other parents won't do theirs.I can understand the kid worrying about what his peers think of him, but the 'parent'? If this 'dad' knew his back end from a hole in the ground, he'd be more concerned about what the teachers think of his kid than what the other kids have to say. In fact, he'd be making sure his kid doesn't head to school in blatant violation of school dress code policy.

What ever happened to the idea that trouble at school meant twice the trouble at home? I was raised by a single mom that I outweighed at about age twelve, and I wouldn't have even thought of pulling a stunt like that.

Curt said...

I think we should be thankful that there was a dresscode at all. Most parents support things like that because it makes them feel the environment is safer - ie. it's run by the teachers, and not the inmates... I mean students, as it should be. ;-)

I would go a step further and add school uniforms. These would be such a help to poorer families, who can't send junior to school in $200 runners. It would conceal that inability and help students mingle. Clothes would be less of a barrier.

There does seem to be a minor trend for the better here.