A Texas middle school has banned students from wearing all-black clothing.
Charles Middle School in El Paso is administering dress code violations to students who show up to school wearing all black, saying that the monochrome clothing leads to mental health concerns.
Principal Nick DeSantis wrote in a letter to parents that all-black clothing is “associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality” after the “look” had “taken over campus with students wearing black tops and black bottoms,” per KFOX 14.
The El Paso Teachers Association President Norma De La Rosa stated that students “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.”
De La Rosa told KFOX that the dress code change was due to teachers seeing a sudden shift in moods when students go from dressing with color to all black. She claims the change in mood usually reflects students being depressed or having heightened levels of stress.
Prohibiting all-black attire is not the only dress code change the middle school has implemented. The school has also banned sweatshirts with hoods and pockets.
“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. As such, we are removing opportunities for students to hide, use, and distribute items that they should not have in school by eliminating sweatshirts with hoods and pockets,” DeSantis stated in the letter.
“We are also 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,” DeSantis continued.
He said the school attempted to design a dress code that was as “economical as possible for families.”
The school released a list of other new changes:
Shoes must be athletic with a closed toe, socks must be solid white, grey, or black, bottoms must be khakis or blue jeans with no tears and worn at the waist, tops must be hunter green or black polo with a collar, and winter coats must be taken off and put away while in the building. For physical education, students must wear plain, solid-colored t-shirts in grey, gold, or black with plain, solid-colored shorts, leggings, joggers, or sweatpants in grey, gold, or black.
Parents have expressed frustrations online, saying that the color of a student’s clothing has nothing to do with emotions and that changing the color will not make them a completely different person.
“So, the colors are not so much to prevent or stop mental health issues. You can have the most colorful dress on and still be suffering through depression,” De La Rosa acknowledged.
De La Rosa told KFOX that upset parents should read the dress code “very, very carefully.”
According to a statement from the El Paso Independent School District, Charles Middle School is updating its uniform policy “to enhance students’ well-being and sense of pride.” The decision was intended to “foster a positive self-image among students and more effectively showcase the school’s colors and pride.”
Each school within the El Paso Independent School District may create its dress code, KFOX reported.