Demopolis Board of Education approves adjusted dress code

Demopolis Board of Education made an adjustment to the dress code on Monday, doubling down on efforts to enforce rules against tight clothing and visible underwear.

The board voted unanimously to reword two items of the dress code in the Code of Conduct to require long shirts over leggings and ban underwear worn as outerwear.

Parents packed the board room to get more information about the dress code requirements that prompted staff to send dozens of students home to change clothes the first few days of school, specifically at Demopolis High School.

The previous dress code included a requirement for shirts worn with leggings to be a hand-length from the knee, which many parents argued was too long.

Demopolis High’s new principal, Frederick Franklin, who was hired on June 16, insisted on upholding the dress code, which led to dozens of students being sent home.

The board’s new rule clarifies the length of shirts with leggings, saying, “When wearing leggings or jeggings, shirts must be below the buttocks and cover the front area as well. Shirts may not be tucked into leggings or jeggings.” Superintendent Adam Pugh said the main goal was to have shirts covering the buttocks and the front.

A second change was made to clarify a requirement made shortly after school started that banned sweatpants and joggers, saying, “Pajama bottoms, pants that are clingy or revealing, and all types of underwear are prohibited as outerwear. Loose fitting sweatpants and joggers are permitted.”

Parents weren't given a chance to speak at the meeting, although one mom interrupted the board to say the dress code should be printed out and made available to everyone due to many having no access to the internet. Pugh said the code is available on the Demopolis City School’s website, and those who need a printout can ask the school board office for one.

Read the high school’s policy with the two new requirements here. 

Also on Monday, the school board voted to purchase rapid radios to improve communication between teachers and the office during emergencies. Staff said the radios would have been helpful on the first day of school when threatening calls were made that caused schools to close early. Pugh said Westside Elementary has the radios, and they worked well for staff communication that day. The district will buy the same radios for the three other campuses.

The Demopolis School Board also Monday renewed a memorandum of understanding with the Demopolis Police Department to continue having four School Resource Officers posted at each school campus.