Even though summer is over for most kids who have been making their way back to the classroom these past few weeks, the heat is just as strong and unbearable in many places across the country.
Because of the stifling South Carolina heat, mom Alicia Rogers picked a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top for her daughter to wear to school, but made sure to follow every rule in the handbook regarding her daughter’s outfit. “It meets the ‘three finger’ rule for the width of the tank-top that her school has always used. It is not a spaghetti-strap tank top. And it certainly does not bare any stomach or midriff. It is workout/sports attire that is perfectly acceptable for the environment we live in, which is a hot, humid summer day in South Carolina,” she explained.
Yet when 10-year-old Jordynn got to class that morning, her teacher pulled her aside to shame her for her ‘inappropriate’ outfit. “‘Do you know what I’m about to say?!’ And Jordynn clearly confused, replied no. ‘Your shirt is very inappropriate.’ And told her she would need to go to the nurse to change/cover up,” Rogers said.
Jordynn went straight to the nurse, who gave her the choice of a long sleeve shirt, which she didn’t want because it looked boyish, and a plain zip-up jacket. “I think in the moment, she wasn’t thinking what would be most weather appropriate. She was just so embarrassed and caught off guard by the whole situation, that she was trying to go with what looked least embarrassing to her,” Rogers said.
For the rest of the day, Jordynn was mortified as kids kept asking if she was in trouble. And when she was going out to recess, the same teacher tracked her down and told her she was not allowed to take the jacket off while outside in the 95-degree heat.
Once Rogers came to pick her daughter up at the end of the day, her fifth grader broke down in tears explaining how she got in trouble and forced to wear the hot jacket. Rogers immediately called the teacher and later met with the principal, however, they never once apologized for what happened or admitted that it should have been handled differently.
“Does anybody get how NOT okay this is? How shaming these young girls, their bodies, their attire, and forcing them to hide their bodies is FAR more of a distraction and detriment to their education and to their peers’ education than the opposite,” Rogers wrote in a post to her Facebook. “And please, let’s not forget folks, this is a 10-year-old little girl. She is a GOOD, respectful student, who is never anything but kind, pleasant and appropriate to both her teachers and peers when in the classroom setting. The message that was sent to my daughter today was: How you look is MORE important than your education.”
What would you do if you found out your child was forced to wear a hot jacket all day during 90+ degree weather? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE this with friends on Facebook.
[Featured image: Facebook/Alicia Rogers]
10-Year-Old Shamed By Teacher For Wearing Tank Top To Class is an article from: LifeDaily