School Policy

[Shizo]

I thought I'd share some recent events from the homefront.

My brother is a junior at the local high school. Due to the fact that they will be graduating next school year, his grade decided to get together and buy some class t-shirts, the type with a little slogan and their graduating year. These were ones they got themselves, not through the school.

Naturally, they chose to wear their shirts to school, where one of the teachers deemed the shirts 'offensive' and ordered them to be turned inside-out. My mother, because none of us could figure out what was offensive about the shirts, sent an email to the teacher requesting an explanation. Here is the response, edited to remove names.

The shirts are a violation of the dress code. The dress codes states "Any apparel with pictures or writing that is vulgar, obscene, distasteful; that advertises alcohol, drugs, or tobacco; that is sexual in connotation, promotes nudity, or implies any of the aforementioned."

It is my opinion, and the opinion of other teachers and [the high school principal], that this shirt implies partying--in the "real" sense of the term--which is not appropriate for school. I have no doubt that many of the kids just bought the shirts because their classmates did, and the reference to partying carries no weight. But for some of the students in the class, this reference to partying is all about alcohol and possibly drugs. We have to draw the line somewhere, and if we begin to allow these things to come into the school, we will soon have a nightmare on our hands in trying to enforce the dress code.

Because of that, I have asked the students that I see to take the shirt off or turn it inside out. In my opinion, this wasn't exactly the best shirt for the class to buy. There are many other things they could have put on their shirts that would have been much more appropriate for school, but they chose to reference partying.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for your concern.

And what was this horrendous, drug referencing quote?


Party hard. Stay out late.
We're the Class of 2008.


Paranoia runs rampant.

[Heald]

A young person that enjoys partying? How ruthlessly absurd!

[DarkTemplarZero]

My school's class slogan has to do with Bond girls (2*007*, get it? Hahah) and nobody really complains about that, even people posting pictures of Ursula Andress on their lockers is viewed as alright. People really need to chill and not see everything as offensive.

[Blademaster]

Party hard. Stay out late.
We're the Class of 2008.

Replace that saying with a bunch of crack-headed, chain-smoking, beer-guzzling naked hookers; maybe that'll make them happy.

That way they'll at least know for sure what's being implied.

[Everoy]

Ours are:

'07 is heaven.
'08 is great.
'09 is so fine.
'10... sucks.



I'm '09. Our slogans are probably the suckiest of them all. Especially '10. I keep hearing freshmen shout "Oh-ten!" And I cry.

[Magmar]

what's the big deal about partying in senior year of high school? god you're gonna do it anyway

[Starry Might]

Political correctness strikes again!

Just another reason I'm glad I'm home-schooled.

[Katie]

"this shirt implies partying--in the "real" sense of the term--"
the hell? I feel sorry for this woman's kids.

"mom can I have birthday party?"
"no, you'll get drunk, stoned, and knocked up, dear"
""

it seems like all of these ridiculous school bannings (hats, pizza, tag?!) and things have such a huge opposition, yet no one does anything about it. what happened to the days where you could just tell captain panties-in-a-bunch to grow up or shut up? if people can honest to god sue for hurt feelings/scraped knees and win something, the court system needs a complete makeover. giving into the "me me ME!" people isn't helping anything.

I'm class of '10 and we have girl shirts that say "a perfect 10!" or something, I'm almost worried someone will sue the university because it makes her wittle 20 year old feel bad that she's only an 8. or something.

oh america, what have you done?

[RedStarWarrior]

I'd say that you all wear the shirts regardless and refuse to turn them inside out or take them off. You could probably sue the school system if you get suspended or something.

[Blademaster]

Heh... I like the way you think, RedStar.

[Arnen]

Hooters shirts were recently banned at my school, since a lot of guys were wearing them (which said something like, "Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined.") I personally didn't like the shirts, but I didn't really see why they couldn't wear them. That, along with the recent bans on use of cell phones, games, and music during school hours is seriously starting to get me pissed off.

[Magmar]

I used to defy all those rules, walk around the high school halls wearing my hat, with headphones on and carrying my backpack. I honestly didn't give a shit. And the teachers knew it. And they didn't care.

Teachers sometimes will support you in your defiance against the retardedness that public schooling can be.

I had a great deal of support in my stop-channel-one campaign. We got it out of the school... until I graduated. Oh 2005, why didn't you pick up the torch? Now your little freshies have to watch all the military propaganda

[ChobiChibi]

Wow, that really sucks. In my old school, we were told that we could get people to sign our shirts, but not wear them. Pfft, we all wore them. I went round all day with "Sperm with legs" written on my sleeve during my art exam.

My current 6th form doesn't care what you wear, so long as it isn't too revealing. I'd be devistated if i couldn't wear my Guinness t-shirt... Or my Offspring hoodie...

It's amazing to see the differences in policy, having just changed schools. My old school wouldn't let us use MP3 players, phones or any form of electronic item during the school day. At my current school, MP3 players can be used at break and lunch, phones can be on but only used in break and lunch and any kind of electronic item is allowed. I saw this kid with his SP wandering around one lunch time and nobody stopped him. Also, my old school let anybody out of grounds for lunch, so long as they had written permission in their planners whereas my new school, only year 11 can leave.

It doesn't really affect me much, though, as most of these rules don't apply to the 6th form anyway...

[Magmar]

This story will be featured in my college's newspaper! The issue comes out tomorrow. In a somewhat parodied fashion, the events that took place at the high school in question are compared to "real" emergencies. There's a graphic with a t-shirt that says "Shit happens when you party naked" with the word "Party" blurred out.

I REALLY needed a story. Thanks for the lead!!!

[SupremeChampion]

[i]man, school's really need to just chill out. my high school used to be pretty decent when it came to t-shirts, they could pretty much say anything as long as it wasn't blatant (such as "alcoholism rules!!!!1" for example). honestly, as long as a whole bunch of people aren't complaining about the shirts, then there should be no problem with said shirt (unless, as previously stated, it's blatantly wrong). but in these days, every school is striving to be the pinnacle of excellence, even if it means taking away their students freedom of choice when it comes to what clothes to wear (once again, as long as there is nothing blatantly wrong with them) to maintain their pristine image.

~The Italian Stallion