It is not how school administrators should view the student body.
A high school in Alabama has been labeled “creepy and sexist” for requiring students to submit “front and back” photos of themselves in prom dresses or be barred from attending the dance. Following a ferocious response from kids and parents, they ultimately reversed their odd policy.
Earlier this month, Oxford High School released a Facebook message describing the “prom expectations and dress code.”
Students were expected to wear “evening gowns and cocktail dresses” in accordance with these supposedly strict rules. According to the dress code, prom attendees were prohibited from wearing transparent material, dresses shorter than six inches from the center of the knee all the way around (both front and back from the middle of the knee), and anything that exposed the back or neck lines.
“Sleeveless or strapless dresses are permitted as long as the armpit to mid-thigh area is covered,” they noted.
” “Two-piece gowns that expose the midriff will not be permitted.
Only the tip of the iceberg was revealed. To guarantee compliance with the dress code, female students were forced to submit photos of themselves wearing prom attire. “Before March 6, all dresses must be approved by Mrs. [name redacted]” (No exceptions). “Email photographs of YOU wearing your prom attire to [email redacted] — Front and Back views,” the notice said.
“Ensure that photographs capture the best possible perspectives,” the rules instructed. “If prom attendance is not pre-approved, you will not be permitted to attend.”
The guys, meanwhile, appeared to have gotten off rather lightly. The dress code stated that only tuxedos and suits were permitted, as well as no jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes, caps, or oversized apparel.
The community took exception to the bizarre prom photo requirement, which they termed “disgusting” and “ridiculous.”
“When I first saw the post, I thought it had to be satire, but it wasn’t,” said Lizzie Buckalew, 29, a former Oxford High School student’s friend. “I thought ‘what?’ when they instructed me to ‘send a photo of myself wearing the garment’ and ‘obtain the best possible angles’
The Weaver, Alabama resident stated, “That was the most troubling aspect: they asked these young females to submit photographs.
Buckalew attributed the strict dress requirements to the narrow-mindedness of “Bible Belt” residents, particularly Oxford. “It’s definitely a thing here, but Oxford takes it much more seriously than other places,” bemoaned the Southern woman, adding that she is considerably less conservative than her fellow countrymen.
“Before March 6, all dresses must be approved by Mrs. [name redacted]” (No exceptions). Send pictures of YOU wearing your prom attire to [email address redacted] with front and back views,” the guidelines state.
She said, “I wore a long dress to the prom that showed a bit of cleavage, but I’m a woman with breasts, so it’s normal.” “If your mother thinks it’s okay for you to wear, then I think it’s fine for you to wear it.”
One dress code critic mirrored her feelings in an online essay.
“Requiring adolescent girls to submit selfies to adult administrators in order to attend the school dance?” complained one critic. “Something about that irritates me.
He continued, “When I first read it, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Sending photographs is silly. They are aware of the dress rule, exclaimed another skeptic. “If they arrive and observe a violation, handle it then. Keeping a list of minors in this manner is frankly quite creepy.”
One Facebook user commented, “At this point, you might as well dress them as nuns.”
Others accused Oxford of sexism because male prom participants were not required to adhere to the same requirements. One critic queried, “Why doesn’t the school want pictures of the’males’?”
“For boys, the phrase was, ‘Tell the guys not to wear jeans.’ That makes no sense to me,” sputtered Buckalew.
Oxford High School has since removed and updated the message many times in response to the outcry. “Our intention was to allow students to ask questions and receive clarification well before the prom,” they explained in the post. They explained that prom dress pre-approval was implemented to fight the “increase in attendees wearing attire in violation of the dress code, resulting in long lines to correct violations prior to prom entry.”
They stated, “We apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred and will use this opportunity to learn and improve.”
This eyebrow-raising requirement has thankfully been eliminated. “Unfortunately, the prom guidelines that were initially posted were not routed through the proper approval channels and had to be rescinded because they did not accurately reflect the procedures the school will implement for this year’s prom,” Oxford City Schools’ Public Information Officer Ashley Stilwell explained. “We regret the confusion caused by the initial, unapproved posting of the guidelines.”
She added, “The prom dress code’s official, approved school guidelines have now been published.”
Although the newly authorized criteria do not need pre-approval of any apparel, “students must adhere to the dress code in order to enter the prom,” stated Stillwell.
A Canadian school board imposed a new “professional” dress code for teachers earlier this month in response to months of controversy over a transgender instructor with “clownish” enormous artificial breasts.
»Creepy” school requires girls to submit “front and back” images of their prom attire«