A group of around 30 students in Canada were reportedly sent home from their high school this week for wearing clothes that the dress code deemed too revealing.
School officials pulled the students, who attend Menihek High School in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, out of class for having visible bra straps or wearing sleeveless tops, among other offenses, according to Canadian outlet QMI Agency. The group of reprimanded teens consisted mostly of girls and a few male students.
"I was wearing a tank top but it covered everything except my shoulders, and they told me I had to either put on a sweater or go home and change because of my bra straps," Amber Michelin-Jones, 17, told QMI.
Another student, Maddie Plynn, claimed school officials said the dress code existed to keep girls’ bodies from distracting boys.
"I was talking to a few boys and they even said they are offended because the school is making them out to be uncontrolled horny monsters," she said, per QMI.
Another student, Danielle Matias, gave a similar statement to Canada’s National Post.
“We were actually given a presentation at the beginning of every school year, and they were telling us, ‘Well, you can’t wear certain types of shirts because they’re afraid that male students will take it the wrong way,’” said Matias.
The school provided a statement to CBC News. It reads, in part: "[T]he dress code strives to provide an appropriate learning environment for students. As educators we want our students to dress for the occasion. Every person in the school must feel safe and comfortable and attire does play a role."
The school did not immediately respond to The Huffington Post's request for further comments.
A summary of the school’s gender-neutral dress code says: “Shirts may be sleeveless but must have a thick strap that covers undergarments. Shirts should be high enough in the neck to cover the crease of the breast.”
Related
Before You Go
