Forney Independent School District held its school board meeting on Monday evening, where things got heated over the subject of the new dress code.
Tenth-grader Brooklynn Hollaman arrived at the board meeting with a petition in hand that, by the time she took to the podium to address the board, had grown to 5,000 signatures.
She was also wearing a dress, which is prohibited from being worn by most students under Forney ISD’s 2022–2023 dress code.
Hollaman started the petition because she felt the school board changed the dress code due to isolated disciplinary problems that are not district-wide.
The new seven-page dress code bans hoodies and coats with hoods from being worn in campus buildings. It also prohibits skirts, skorts, and dresses from being worn by students in the 5th grade or higher.
The district released two videos and a memo describing the dress code and its reasons for implementing it, saying, “The use of a school dress code is established to improve student self-esteem, bridge socio-economic differences among students, and promote positive behavior, thereby enhancing school safety and improving the learning environment.”
Hollaman addressed the board, making her case about how professional women wear dresses and skirts every day and are successful in their careers.
“I don’t agree with it,” Hollaman told WFAA. “Hopefully, they’ll change their mind. A lot of people are on my side right now. I think the dress code is unfair, and I’m wearing this dress tonight to contradict what the district is stating.”
A spokesperson for the district says they will move forward with the dress code for the upcoming school year. However, the board does have time to amend it before the start of the school year.