Story Archive

A Matter of Control

Eight-year-old twins Kylie and Karlie went to school dressed alike — but that’s because Winslow Township (N.J.) School 4 has a strict dress code that specifies what students wear. That includes a collared shirt that is white, dark green, or navy blue. Well, they were almost alike: Kylie’s shirt was more kelly green. Too light, school officials said, and the girl was suspended for the day. The vice principal “wanted me to know that she can’t wear that shirt and if she does wear that shirt again, she would be suspended,” said the girls’ mother, Crystal. (The family’s last name was withheld.) Another family says their boy was suspended for wearing the wrong shade of blue — the same shirt he wore last school year. “The Winslow Township Board of Education believes that school attire can influence a pupil’s behavior and potentially impact the academic environment,” the district said in a statement. Some parents sided with the school. “I mean, if you start letting certain things slide,” said one mom, “then you have to let a lot of things slide, and then everyone is pretty much wearing what they want to wear.” (RC/WTXF Philadelphia, South Jersey Times) ...The horror. The horror.