Cherry Hill schools want to adopt a more gender-neutral dress code, the first major revision in a decade

For years the Cherry Hill school district has had a strict dress code for students, especially girls, prohibiting revealing clothing, from plunging necklines to bare midriffs.

Now the South Jersey district wants to give the policy a more gender-neutral makeover and change the dress and grooming standards that many believe discriminate against girls. It is the first major revision to the policy in more than a decade.

Superintendent Joseph Meloche said the district wants to get away from a sexist, double-standards approach that targeted girls and their clothing as a way to prevent distracting male classmates. Some girls had said they were disproportionately “dress-coded” for violations, he said.

“Traditional dress codes were so gender-focused,” Meloche said. “They didn’t change a whole lot.”

Many school districts around the region and country have adopted dress codes that remove sexist stereotypes and better protect transgender, nonbinary, or other students regarding their dress.

The Haddonfield school system removed any gender-specific language from its policy two years ago, said Superintendent Charles Klaus. The Washington Township school district in Gloucester County plans to review its policy next year, said interim schools chief Jack McGee.

In the 2017-18 school year, 42.6% of elementary schools, 61.6% of middle schools, and 55.9% of high schools nationwide reported enforcing a strict student dress code, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In the New Jersey Legislature, a bill pending would prohibit schools from denying students admittance to school because of dress code violations.

In Cherry Hill, the proposed new policy simply states that students “must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt or the equivalent and shoes.” Shirts and dresses must have fabric on the back and sides, meaning no cutouts. Undergarments must be covered, excluding waistbands and bra straps. The fabric covering all private parts must not be see-through.

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The policy it would replace prohibits students from wearing clothing that is “excessively tight,” including for males and females, transparent shirts and pants, bare midriffs, bare sides, and exposed undergarments. Girls are prohibited from wearing miniskirts or shorts above midthigh, or tops with spaghetti straps or tank tops or sleeveless shirts with straps that are less than an inch wide. Clothing with holes or tears that expose the skin are also prohibited.

The district said the responsibility of the dress and grooming of a student rests primarily with the student and parents or guardians. Here are other provisions in the proposed policy:

The proposed changes were presented at a school board meeting Tuesday night for a second read. A board vote is expected in November. If the changes are adopted, Meloche said, school principals will have the flexibility to implement the new dress code this year in their buildings.

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Meloche met at Cherry Hill High School West this week to discuss the proposed changes during a town hall with about two dozen juniors and seniors. Many agreed that the dress policies are outdated and should be changed. The superintendent agreed that the rules have been inconsistently enforced, causing frustration for students and parents.

“If your bra strap is showing I don’t get why people are so aggravated about it,” said student Danica Ward. Like other students, she questioned what impact the dress code has on learning.

LaTasha Bailey, 16, a junior, said the dress code should reflect fashion trends and cultural changes and allow students to express themselves through their attire. One student in the group wore a sweatshirt with the hood pulled around his head. Hoodies would be allowed under the new policy as long as a student’s face is not covered.

“You can’t find a pair of jeans that’s not ripped,” Bailey said. “I can’t imagine having a dress code that’s 20 years old.”

Asked what should be included in the dress code, Mia Watson, 17, a senior, said the policy should maintain a ban on any clothing that has language that is offensive or disrespectful to others. That restriction remains in the proposed policy as well as restrictions on clothing that depicts nudity, pornography, sexual acts, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, or controlled substances.

Cherry Hill West principal Toni Damon said she has already relaxed the current dress code, giving students more leeway.

“We didn’t want to have any barrier to instruction,” she said. “We’re just happy to have the kids back after the pandemic.”