Teenager combats ‘sexist’ school dress code

COBB COUNTY, Georgia. – A Cobb County middle school student opposes the school district’s dress code policy. The teenager and her friends wore shirts to school that read “Dress codes are sexist, racist, classist”.

Sophia Trevino said she is advocating for change not just for herself but for all the girls who follow her.

“If you think you can change it, change it,” Trevino said.

That seems to be the motto of the 13-year-old these days. She is an 8th grader at Simpson Middle School and has spent the last few weeks on a missing person to change her school’s dress code.

She said she passed her first period on the first day of school at reception after one of her teachers found her in violation of one of the school’s dress code rules which state that ” pants may be worn as long as there is no exposed skin above the length of the fingertips. “

“So it’s that hole and those two holes before they were covered, they weren’t covered back then, but now they’re covered so I can wear them to school,” said Trevino showing the offending pair of jeans.

She said she was surprised not to be alone at the reception that day.

“I walked in, there were about 16 girls, only girls, no boys, and most of them were in 8th grade, but some of them were in 6th and 7th grade,” Trevino recalls. “And we took turns sitting there calling our parents for new clothes.”

Trevino says the dress code is a “sexist” rule. She said what made matters worse, there were only girls at the reception that day, no boys. Today, the 13-year-old is calling on the school and school district to implement a “fair dress code policy.”

As part of her campaign, she made T-shirts that read “Dress codes are racist, sexist and classist”. She wears it to school every day and makes them for free at her home for her friends. She also launched a website, nomoredresscodes.com, and a change.org petition which has already collected more than 1,800 signatures.

Trevino would like a dress code policy similar to the Portland School Board policy. A few years ago, he adopted a new dress code policy that includes top, bottom and shoes. Nothing transparent on private areas and underwear should not be covered.

“We should be able to wear whatever we want. If they say parents can choose whether we wear masks and they are optional, shouldn’t our clothes belong to our parents too?” she asked.

The Cobb County School District issued the following statement in response to the incident:

The district dress code for students is the policy of the JCDB-R board which includes a minimum standard of dress and exists, in accordance with the policy, so that students dress in a manner that is’ consistent with school formality ”. “

The district added that each school can establish additional requirements for students.

Trevino said she plans to make her case before the Cobb County School Board at its next regular meeting on September 16.

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