SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Cathedral Catholic High School students took part in a protest Tuesday against a ban on skirts as uniform options for girls.
Officials at the Carmel Valley school changed the dress code Friday for the 2019-2020 school year. CCHS said it would ban the uniform skirts, citing multiple detentions based on enforcement.
Female students will have the option to wear pants, capri pants, or Bermuda shorts, the school said.
“By removing the option for girls to wear skirts at a Catholic school not only demeans me as a female, but makes me wonder if we are moving towards a gender neutral society. I believe this is sexist, patriarchal and sexualizes the female students unnecessarily,” said freshman student Rachel Donaldson.
RELATED: Cathedral Catholic High School girls protest 'sexist' ban on skirts
Donaldson also cited an email about the dress code change she said was sent from Principal Kevin Calkins to parents and students Friday, calling it “disturbing.”
“The most disturbing: ‘Male faculty feel uncomfortable addressing female students about the length of their skirts.’ If a male teacher has a problem addressing student's skirt lengths, then they have no business being anywhere near a high school or a female minor. They are there to educate and guide- this is a simple task,” wrote Donaldson.
A student created a petition on Change.org to keep skirts as part of the uniform option. By Tuesday afternoon, about 3,000 people had signed online.
“It’s not practical to make girls go out and buy new uniforms when they’ve already paid hundreds for the ones they currently wear, our parents are already investing enough money on our education,” said commenter Mia M. on the Change.org petition. “Females should be able to choose what they feel comfortable in and not have their sense of elegance and femininity taken away from them. Making the switch to shorts is no way a practical or ethical solution.”
