Middle School student told to change clothes to return to class

MAUMEE, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) – A middle school student in Ohio was told to change her clothes after being accused of violating the school’s dress code.

According to WTVG, Logan Gray, 12, was wearing a short-sleeved collared dress over white tights with brown leather boots.

“My mom bought me a new dress and it was really pretty, so I decided I was going to wear it to school the next day,” Logan said. “I was very excited and ready to show it off to all my friends.”

Her mother, Francheska Gill, said it was an outfit her daughter would wear to church.

Logan said she was asked to go to the office within 30 minutes of her first class of the day.

“They said they had to measure it with a ruler, and that it was above the dress code, even though it was only a half-inch over,” Logan said.

Gill said the school notified her around 8:30 a.m. that her daughter had violated the dress code policy and was not allowed to return to class until she had a change of clothes.

“Her dad had to drive up to the school and bring a different change of clothes,” Gill said. “I was extremely upset. I was just like, why? I called the school and wanted to know why she was dress coded? Why she had to change?”

According to the Maumee City School District’s dress policy dresses, skirts and shorts must be no more than four inches above the knee cap.

Students are also not permitted to dress in a manner that would distract from or disrupt the education process.

The policy adds that “determination of appropriateness lies solely at the discretion of the building administration or his/her designee.”

“I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s fair,” Gill said. “I think that is a terrible dress code rule or regulation.”

Gill posted a photo of her daughter in the outfit she wore to school on Facebook. Many people had commented in support of her statement.

Logan said she feels unfairly targeted due to her body type.

“It kind of made me feel really bad because there was a lot of other people who were wearing stuff above the dress code,” she said.

“She even made the comment that she was going to work really hard this summer to lose a bunch of weight just so next year when she goes to school, she won’t have these issues,” her mother added.

In response, Maumee City School District shared the following statement:

The Maumee City Schools board of education has approved a dress code policy that applies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Students are not sent home from school for dress code violations, rather they are provided with options: (1) change into something that is laundered and provided to them by the school and continue the school day or (2) the office contacts a parent or family member who brings something to school so the student can change and continue the school day.

The dress code policy is included in all student handbooks and discussed with students by staff members throughout the school year. In addition, the dress code policy is reviewed every few years by a group of students, parents, and staff members.

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