Saggy Pants Lead to Suspensions for at least 8 Berea High School Students

At least eight students have been sent home from Berea High School in Greenville County for breaking the dress code. Dozens more have received in-school-suspensions. More than 1200 students attend Berea High School, where the Greenville School District says baggy pants have been banned for some time.

Seventeen-year-old old David Burch says he hasn't been in trouble for his blue hair or his lip jewelry, but for his saggy pants which are more a semi-saggy look – below the waist, but can't be seen unless he pulls his shirt up. The same goes for his pal Jonathan Corder who says he was sent to suspension the third day of school, along with dozens of other students. Burch says he has been to suspension every day for the last week and a half because he refuses to ban the bag. Both boys' big beef is that they say you can't tell the pants are bagging, because their shirts cover up the low-rise waist. “They say that's sagging because they are not up in my belly button area. That's where they say it needs to be," says Burch. How does Corder define saggy pants? "Saggy pants are way down your buttocks or something like that. It's not way up here around your waist or aboe your buttocks where you can't see anything." Corder says no one even noticed his pants, until he gave them a tug one day walking past an administrator.

The Greenville School District says the dress code clearly states no bag, sag or drag. Spokesman Oby Lyles says the -in- and -out- of school suspensions are given to students who fail to follow instructions and warnings from administrators.

Greenville County Dress Code:

DRESS CODE – Policy of Greenville County Schools

Greenville County School District students are expected to dress and be groomed in such a way as to not distract or cause disruption in the educational program or orderly operation of the school. Personal appearance of students should promote health and safety, contribute to a climate conducive to teaching and learning and project a positive image of the District to the community. Students should dress for the educational setting and not the recreational one. The principal may create further guidelines regarding student dress which are consistent with this policy.

Greenville County School District establishes the following requirements for school dress code policies for students:

• Clothing and/or hair should not be so extreme or inappropriate to the school setting as to disrupt the education process. Therefore, clothing deemed distracting, revealing, overly suggestive or otherwise disruptive will not be permitted.
• Wearing accessories or clothing that could pose a safety threat to oneself or others is not allowed.
• Hats and sunglasses may not be worn in the building.
• Attire must not evidence membership or affiliation with a "gang" in any negative sense of the term.
• Proper shoes must be worn at all times.
• Attire must not be immodest, obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, indecent or offensive.
• Clothing that inappropriately exposes the body is not permitted. Students shall not expose undergarments.
• Pants must be worn at the natural waistline and undergarments are not to be visible. Pants and slacks must not bag, sag, or drag.
• No clothing, jewelry, or tattoos are permitted that display profanity, suggestive phrases, or advertisements for, or messages or pictures depicting or suggesting alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or sex.

The administration will make the final judgment on the appropriateness of clothing and/or appearance and reserves the right to prohibit students from wearing any articles of clothing or other items which lead to or may result in the disruption of or interference with the school environment.

In the event the administration determines a student’s dress is inappropriate for school in accordance with this policy, the administration will either require the student to change or will inform the student not to wear the garment to school again. Repeated violations of the dress code will be treated as disruptive behavior in violation of the District's Behavior Code.
At Sevier Middle School, the following standards continue in force:
1. Un-tucked shirts and tops may fall no longer than the thumbs. Longer tops must be tucked in.
2. All students will wear collared, sleeved shirts. (Turtlenecks and mock-turtlenecks are collars.)

http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/sevier/parents/0809/DRESS%20CODE0809August%2008.doc