Parents and students are pushing back against an update to the dress code at an El Paso middle school that bans all-black outfits due to their association with “mental health issues,” according to school officials.
Nick DeSantis, the principal of Charles Middle School, sent a letter to parents letting them know about upcoming changes to the dress code for this school year.
“We have put a great deal of time and effort into adjusting our dress code policies based on feedback from families, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders. Our goal with dress code, as well as everything else we do, is to provide a safe environment that inspires and empowers all Chargers to thrive,” he wrote.
As for the part of the dress code about black outfits, he added, “We are… eliminating a look that has taken over on campus with students wearing black tops with black bottoms, which has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn.”
Norma De La Rosa, the president of El Paso Teachers Association, said that for teachers, seeing a student go from wearing colorful clothes to dressing in all black can be a red flag that that student is experiencing mental health problems.
“What they are not allowing for students to wear clothing that is black from top to bottom,” De La Rosa explained to local news outlets. “They can wear black shorts to go to PE. And they can wear it on free dress day, but they just cannot wear it from top to bottom.”
However, parents have been pushing back, saying that banning clothing does nothing to address the actual issue: If kids are actually struggling, they need help, not different outfits.
“The color of clothing has nothing to do with your ability to do anything or feel any emotion,” one parent commented on an online poll about the rule change.
“…making students wear a different color isn’t going to magically make them a completely different person,” another weighed in.
The El Paso Independent School District issued a statement about the dress code change, which reads, “Charles Middle School is updating its uniform policy to enhance students’ well-being and sense of pride. This decision, carefully considered and approved by the Campus Improvement Team—comprising parents, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders—aims to foster a positive self-image among students and more effectively showcase the school’s colors and pride. The dress code changes were a response to concerns and recommendations brought forward by the stakeholders of Charles Middle School. The school appreciates the community’s feedback and collaboration in making these changes.”
