‘Express’ yourself: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board unveils changes to dress code policy
Posted Jun 10, 2022 12:00:00 AM.
Student dress codes at Ottawa schools still remain a hot-button issue nearly a month after students at a French catholic high school in Orléans walked out in protest following a dress code blitz.
On Thursday, June 9, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) released a statement regarding its take on the new dress codes that will be applied to its schools across the city.
“All students have the right to express themselves in school through their choice of clothing, hair styles, jewelry and accessories,” the OCDSB’s statement reads. “While a student’s style is their choice, we want to keep school a place where everyone can feel comfortable.”
Back in April, the board approved updates to the Safe Schools Policies, which includes an update on its code of conduct that contains a section on the dress code.
“The new student dress code applies to all schools,” the statement continued. “All students have the right to express themselves through their dress without fear of body shaming, bias or discrimination.”
According to its updated dress code poster, students are reminded that:
- Headwear cannot fully cover one’s face;
- They must wear shoes that protect their feet;
- They must cover their nipples, groin and butt with material that is not see-through or transparent;
- They must keep their underwear underneath their clothing, but straps and waistbands may be visible.
Students cannot promote or symbolize:
- Hate or discrimination;
- Violence;
- Nudity or pornographic images or sentiments;
- Profanity;
- Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or other drugs;
- Illegal activity.
To read the full poster, click here.
The full dress code procedure can be accessed here.
This update comes after students at École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges were subject to a dress code check by several teachers, most of which were male, on Thursday, May 12.
Students were told to bend over and touch their toes while staff members measured the length from their knees to the hem of the shorts.
About 50 to 60 students were sent to the office, most of them female.
Some students said they felt humiliated by what happened.
At the time, the Ottawa Catholic School board issued a statement, saying it finds it important to address sensitive issues and has also started the process back in November of revising the school dress code.
As of this story’s publishing, no other school boards issued a recent statement as a follow-up to the events in Orléans .