Texas district revises dress code after suspension of male student for wearing nail polish sparks protest
A Texas school district has revised its dress code after drawing criticism last year when it suspended a male student for wearing nail polish.
KRBC-TV reports that the Clyde school board has approved the changes after a a committee of staff members, administrators, parents, and students wrote a new “Dress and Grooming Policy."
The new dress code does not prevent students from wearing makeup, nail polish, jewelry, or piercings based on their gender. The language in the code does not make the distinction between “boys” and “girls.” Instead, it uses the word “students.”
Trevor Wilkinson, a senior at Clyde High School in Clyde, Texas, was suspended in December for wearing nail polish and refusing to remove it. He argued that the code was sexist and could be offensive to people of different sexual orientations.
More than 403,000 people have signed a change.org petition, “Allow males to wear nail polish,” that was initiated by Wilkinson.
"It’s a complete double standard because girls are allowed to paint and get their nails done," the petition states. "... I am a gay male and I’m beyond proud. This is unjust and not okay. Help me show that it is okay to express yourself."
After the board adopted the revised dress code, Wilkinson said: “I am very proud of my school for this. I’m glad that we finally got to this point, and I think that it’s inclusive for everyone."
VIDEO from KRBC-TV:
