In August 2017, Tony Alarcon’s phone rang unexpectedly.
Like many parents, he thought it might be a telemarketer. But this time, he answered the call.
Hearing from the school can be nerve-wracking for any parent. Tony immediately started worrying—was his daughter, Demetra, okay? Had something happened?
What he found out left him surprised.
It was a hot summer day in Northern California, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees. Tony had dropped off his 13-year-old daughter, Demetra, at school that morning. She wore a blue romper to stay cool in the heat, and neither of them thought the outfit would cause any issues.
Demetra, a student at Raymond J. Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos, California, had simply dressed for the weather.
Not everyone agreed with Demetra’s outfit. A teacher at her school said her romper was “too distracting” for the boys.
When the teacher told Demetra that her outfit was too short, her dad, Tony, rushed back to the school with a change of clothes—jean shorts and a tank top. But the school said those clothes were also inappropriate.
Tony was shocked. He asked Demetra to bend over and touch her toes in front of the school administrator. “Nothing is hanging out. There’s nothing inappropriate. I don’t understand this dress code rule,” he told TODAY.
Still, the school said her clothes were “distracting.” Since it was 90 degrees outside, Tony had no choice but to go to his car and grab a pair of leggings for Demetra to wear.
Demetra felt embarrassed.
Tony expressed his frustration, saying, “She’s just a kid. She’s only 13. She’s not trying to be a sex symbol. She just wants to be comfortable and attend class, but we’re not giving her that chance.”
This wasn’t the first time Demetra had been in trouble for her clothes. Just a week before, she was called out for a visible bra strap. “When I got dress coded last week, they said my bra strap was showing,” Demetra told the *San Jose Mercury News*. “Like, I’m wearing a bra—what’s the big deal?”
Tony, a successful investment advisor and father of two, didn’t let it go. Angry at what he saw as an unfair rule that mostly targeted girls, he took his complaint to social media. Parents from all over the country showed their support, agreeing that the school’s dress code was outdated and unfair to girls.
“Demetra’s not the only one. If you sit in the school parking lot, you’ll see that,” Tony said. “Lots of girls just want to be comfortable, but they feel forced to wear leggings even when it’s 100 degrees outside.”
Tony believed that parents, not schools, should decide if their children’s clothes are appropriate. He was also worried about how being told their clothing is a “distraction” to boys could affect young girls emotionally in the long run.
The story quickly got attention from the media, with major news outlets reporting on Tony’s efforts to change the dress code. While the school didn’t speak on camera, they did release a statement:
“The Los Gatos Union School District believes that appropriate dress and grooming contribute to a productive learning environment,” the district said. “Students are expected to wear clothes that reflect the core values of our learning community.”
Tony’s efforts made an impact. His push for change led the Los Gatos Union School District to reevaluate its dress code to make it fairer and less strict for all students.
Lisa Fraser, the school’s principal, explained that the dress code rules, called “Fashion Faux Pas,” apply to both girls and boys. Some of the rules include no hats or hoods indoors, no visible underwear, no inappropriate logos or words, and shorts must have at least 4-inch inseams.
“There has always been a dress code,” Fraser told a newspaper. “These are basic rules for appropriate behavior. I can set guidelines for the school, but I want them to reflect the community’s values.”
In the end, Tony Alarcon’s persistence started an important discussion about how school dress codes affect young girls — showing that one parent’s voice can truly make a difference.
What do you think about the school’s dress code? Have you or your children faced a similar situation? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Gang finds unusually spiky creatures in nest – takes a closer look and jaws drop when they realize what kind of animals they are
There’s now hope for a species that was on the point of extermination.
A group of experimenters in Australia is thrilled after their sweats to propagate the species feel to have succeeded.
lately, ecologists at the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia made a stunning discovery.
In the sanctuary, they set up a waste of invigorated and spiky little brutes.
But these are n’t just any brutes. They belong to the species “ western quolls, ” which are a specific type of marsupial carnivore.
Preliminarily, the species was scattered throughout Australia, but since the first Europeans began colonizing Australia, the population of the species has dramatically declined.
currently, the western quolls, also known as chuditchs, are only set up in the southwestern corner of Australia, and only in small clusters.
This species of marsupial grows to about the size of a cat and plays a significant part in the ecosystem. They help control populations of lower pets, as well as certain reptiles and catcalls.
New stopgap
Over the once many months, experimenters have been working to introduce the marsupials to the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, an area where they had preliminarily been defunct.
Now, with the recent discovery of baby marsupials, it’s clear that the experimenters have succeeded. It seems that the creatures are thriving there and have no issues reproducing.
“ Through regular monitoring, we can see the quolls are doing well at the sanctuary and encountering the first poke
youthful is a positive sign that they’ve acclimated to the new terrain, ” said Georgina Anderson, AWC Senior Field Ecologist.
“ One quoll that we’ve named Aang is a regular at camera traps we set up at the release spots. He’s one of our largest and most striking quolls with a personality to match – frequently making rounds of multiple spots to collect the funk we use as lures and dismembering our bait drums, ” she added.
Ecologists at Mt Gibson, on Badimia and Widi Country in WA, have made an lovable discovery The sanctuary’
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