Tyler Gordon – LRHS News
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – The LRHS administration has been cracking the whip on dress code in recent weeks.
“I suggest that students look in their planner on pages 16, 17 and 18. It would be a big help to them,” said Assistant Principal Michael Mullen.
The school’s discipline office was filled during homecoming week with dress code violators. In recent years, dress code was never really enforced during homecoming week , so it came as a surprise to some who were sent to the office with shorts, tank tops and leggings.
According to Mullen, there were about 50 students with major dress code violations in the first two days.
“There were so many people in the office for dress code, It was more than I have ever seen,” said senior Julianna Guida.
It hasn’t been just girls getting caught with dress code violations. Boys have also been getting in trouble, and it has not been for the usual pants sagging a bit too low, it’s for their short shorts.
Boy’s shorts must follow the same guidelines as girl’s shorts do.
“It’s a little weird seeing guys in shorts that are shorter than my own,” said junior Talia Falco.
One LRHS male student, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “Teachers have been saying that I wear my short shorts on purpose just to defy the dress code here, but I honestly haven’t. I wear them because I like them.”
Recently girls have been getting into trouble for athletic running shorts. At LRHS such shorts are common. Unfortunately they do not meet the “finger tip length” regulation.
It isn’t just LRHS that has seen the dress code crack down. Manatee High has reportedly also cited girls in running shorts.
“I was wearing my soccer practice shorts at school, and they are pretty long but even still I got dress coded for them,” said Manatee senior Sarah Wasser.
Athletic shorts have been the go to for girls when they don’t feel like wearing the usual jeans ensemble.
“I wore my orange Nike shorts the other day with my college sweat shirt and was loving it but then I got in trouble for them,” said senior Alex Latham. “I even had spandex under them.”
A lot of girls at LRHS have also been getting dress coded for yoga pants. Yoga pants are allowed, but they must be covered by something longer than fingertip length.
“I don’t care whether it’s shorts, a shirt, a skirt…it must be fingertip length all the way around,” said Mullen. “We really just want to eliminate distractions, and have a safe environment for all students.
“I want students to know that we want them to feel comfortable but we have to protect them and we want them to be covered as well as be respectful to each other and most importantly themselves.”