Tigger Causing Trouble Again

[Scar]

From: FOXnews.com

NAPA, Calif. — A seventh-grader might end up in court for wearing Winnie the Pooh socks to school.

Toni Kay Scott, 14, was sent to an in-school suspension program called Students With Attitude Problems last year for violating a dress code, according to a lawsuit against the Napa Valley Unified School District and Redwood Middle School.

She had donned socks with the Tigger character from the Winnie the Pooh cartoons on them, along with a denim skirt and a brown shirt with a pink border.

But the school's policy requires students to wear clothes with solid colors in blue, white, green, yellow, khaki, gray, brown and black. Permitted fabrics are cotton twill, corduroy and chino. No denim is allowed.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Napa County Superior Court by The American Civil Liberties Union and a law firm on the girl's behalf, alleges that the dress code is unconstitutionally vague and too restrictive.

"We should be able to show everyone who we are and have a way to express ourselves, as long as we aren't showing off things that shouldn't be shown off at school," the teenager said in a statement.

The lawsuit said the policy goes too far and forces aesthetic conformity in the name of safety. The rules violate the California Education Code, said plaintiffs' attorney Sharon O'Grady.

A telephone message left Tuesday at Redwood Middle School was not immediately returned.

[Strmchsr]

Would someone please hire Tigger a handler to keep him out of trouble?

[tyandskyesmom]

Hey, a dress code is a dress code! If you send your kids to a school where there is a dress code, it needs to be followed, PERIOD. However, I do think the "in-school suspension program called Students With Attitude Problems" is a bit, no a lot, harsh!!!

When Ty spent kindergarten and first grade at the Catholic school they, of course, had a uniform. The kids were supposed to be charged $.25 per violation...I never heard of it beiong enforced. Now at he new public school, they also have uniforms that are a bit more like a dress code than a uniform. They can wear any dark blue pants (no jeans) and skirts and white or light blue shirts (polos, botton downs). They also are to wear mostly white gymshoes. There are so many variations on what the kids wear from too short skirts to blue stretch pants to black shoes and colorfull gym shoes and no one apparently enforces the dress code. Ty wears his uniform everyday and it is a proper school uniform. He is still known as"Tyler". He has his own personality and everyone knows it (which is not always a good thing!). His clothes have nothing to do with that! He does not mind...it makes it easier for him to lazily get dressed everyday. I like it because it is cheaper for me, it is easier to get him dressed every day, and I do not have to worry about keeping up with the kid down the street or whoes being teased because of the clothes they are wearing.

I am usually in the group of people saying things in our lives these days are too governed by government and schools and that everyone is not and should not be the same but in this case I think the ACLU is going a bit too far!

[NJGIRL]

I hate to sound stuffy but this is crazy. Schools have dress codes for the safety of children and they are voted on. While the socks may seem harmless how can the school allow them and not someone elses shirt or someone elses pants? You have to treat each child the exact same. You can't say she can wear the socks but he can't wear the shirt. When you are in a school you must follow the rules weather you like them or not and this girl just seems to be looking for trouble.
As far as the ACLU, I'm not surprised by them getting involved with this. They waste most money defending these kind of cases and cases of law breakers all the time.

[Figgyluv03]

It's a pair of socks!?!? Are they serious?! I'm glad I dont' live in area like that.

[mamacatnv]

A dress code is a dress code.

This to me is another example of parents who don't feel that their child needs to follow the rules.

Give a middle schooler an inch and they will take a mile. Add in parents who support "bucking" the system and now we have attorneys, ACLU, legal fee's etc.

For goodness sakes school is 6 hours a day, conform to the policy then come home and wear whatever you want.

[mamacatnv]

It's a pair of socks!?!? Are they serious?! I'm glad I dont' live in area like that.

It's not just the socks - it looks like she was in total violation top to bottom, in the denim skirt and a brown shirt with pink trim. The dress code was specific to no denim and solid color shirts - the Tigger socks just make for a better more sensational headline.

[Disney Doll]

Surely our schools have better things to worry about than the color of students' shirts and socks. It wasn't anything offensive and doesn't seem to be gang related. Let's focus on the kids who really have problems not those who like Tigger socks.

[mamacatnv]

Surely our schools have better things to worry about than the color of students' shirts and socks. It wasn't anything offensive and doesn't seem to be gang related. Let's focus on the kids who really have problems not those who like Tigger socks.

Then why have a dress code?
If she was wearing "gang" colors how would that be any different from what she was wearing?

She was in clear violation of the policy. A violation of the policy is a violation it doesn't come with "degrees" of violation.

Just my opinion. We do not have that strick of a dress code here, but we do have one. ie: no bare midriffs, it doesn't say no belly buttons or bottom cracks, it just says no bare midriffs. If a kid shows up at school with only the belly button showing, they are still in violation even if the crack is covered.

I don't think our educators have the time nor should they be expected to police the degrees of the dress code violations. Our high school has 2000 students, what if they had to spend their time deciding if what one kid was wearing was okay because it was not as "bad" of a violation as someone else? IMO policy is policy and there for a reason.

If the parents don't like it then the parents need to get together and resolve with the school board. Allowing a child to blatantly disregard the policy and then hire legal counsel when she gets busted is IMO wrong.

[jillluvsdisney]

I went to parochial school for 9 years and hated every minute of the dress code. That being said, I can't believe I am about to give this opinion. If the dress code is the rule at the school, then it needs to be followed. The suspension is a bit harsh. We'd just get an hour of detention for our rule infractions.

If someone wants to buck the system and be a rebel, more power to them. Just be prepared to own up to the consequences. Every choice we make as adults has a consequence behind it. That's a lesson that needs to be learned at a young age.

Filing a law suit says a lot about what has become very wrong about our society. Give me a break, OK ~!!

[kakn7294]

While I agree that suspension is too harsh, a dress code is a dress code. Last year, the hospital where I work instituted a new dress code for the RN's (we always had to wear at least some sort of nursing uniform, usually scrubs). Since July, I can only wear white or navy or navy print scrubs to work - and the real kick in the (scrub) pants is that sometime this summer, we change to solid white or hunter green - and no more prints. I don't have a choice unless I want to face "disciplinary action". I can actually be fired for violating the dress code one too many times - a little harsher than a suspension I think.

[SteveL]

The dress code is what it is. If you don't like the program, vote with your feet.
Aside from ensuring a uniform appearance among the students, it also serves to teach them that, in life, there are some rules that have to be followed whether they like it or not.
Perhaps the family would do better to either teach their child this or do something to change what they don't like instead of whining and clogging up the courts with a frivilous lawsuit.
Kids need to learn responsibilty if they are to become responsible adults.

[GottaLvDisney]

While I really think the whole thing is silly, if you know your school has a particular dress code then abide by it. My kids go to a private school and they require the girls to wear dresses, or skirts - I'm certainly not going to send my girls to school in pants and then complain when the school enforces their rules!

[BMan62]

One thing that is not in the clip posted here is whether or not this is the girls first infraction of the dress code.

It seems to me that suspension would be after 2 or 3 infractions of the rule, not a first offense punishment.

That being said...Where is the parent/are the parents? If they are sending the girl to this school, they must be aware of the dress code and the punishment for infractions.