Two high school boys who showed up to school wearing dresses, were suspended even though their outfits complied with the school’s dress code.
Seniors Chris Swkyert, 17, and Rodney Dimasso, 18, who attend the Melissa High School in Melissa, Texas, decided to wear dresses during their last month of classes.
‘I just wore the dress because I wanted to,’ Dimasso revealed to Yahoo Lifestyle.
Dress code: Rodney Dimasso, 18, a student at Melissa High School in Texas (pictured) was one of two male students suspended for wearing a dress to school
‘I was walking down the hallway and the principal told me to follow him. When I went into his office, he was asking me why I wore the dress, and I told him because I wanted to.
‘He said it’s a distraction and told me I am going to have two days of in-school suspension.’
Despite trying to argue his case by telling the principal that his dress wasn’t breaking any official rules because his dress was three inches below his knees, Dimasso was unable to reverse the school’s decision and he also wasn’t given the opportunity to change into trousers or shorts before being disciplined.
The school’s dress code is not gender-specific, and says that it is in place to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption and minimize safety hazards.
It adds: ‘Students and parents/guardians may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards’ provided they don’t feature sexually oriented or explicit material, refer to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gang or hate slogans or pictures deemed inappropriate by school officials.
Punishment: Chris Swkyert, 17, was also escorted to the principal’s office and given a two-day suspension, despite the outfit complying with the school’s dress code
Argument: Dimasso tried to argue his case by telling the principal that his dress wasn’t breaking any official rules because his dress was three inches below his knees
The dress code also advises students that ‘inappropriately worn or distracting clothing’ including ‘too-tight tops or pants, lycra or spandex’.
However, the incident struck a chord with the student body who vocalized that they found the punishment unfair.
And one student Russell Young brought even more attention to the issue by posing a video of Swkyert being escorted to the principals’s office on Twitter.
He captioned the short clip with: ‘Two male students at Melissa High School get two days of in school suspension for wearing dresses.. That were in dress code! It’s 2018 y’all.’