For the Sake of Its Male Teachers, School Bans Tight Pants

For the Sake of Its Male Teachers, School Bans Tight Pants

Often when teen girls get sent home from school for wearing tank tops or shorts, it’s because school officials fear the sight of bare flesh will distract their hormonal male peers. But one headmistress in the U.K. is more concerned about how tight pants might affect male teachers.

Dr. Rowena Blencowe told 10 girls that the tightness of their pants would distract their male teachers on their first day of class this week at Trentham High School in Staffordshire, England, Yahoo U.K. reports. In order to attend class, the girls were required to change into baggier slacks.

This isn’t the first time the secondary school has cracked down on students’ outfits for fear of impairing professional academics’ state of mind. In July, Blencowe nixed skirts, in part because teachers had to waste lesson time inspecting student’s hemlines, but also because men might be bothered by a hint of skin.

“It’s not pleasant for male members of staff and students,” Blencowe told the Daily Mail in July. “The girls have to walk up stairs and sit down and it’s a complete distraction.”

Now, all students are required to wear tailored slacks, but a satisfactory fit is up to interpretation from the staff.

“I was with a girl wearing exactly the same pair of trousers but, because I have slightly larger legs than her, I was told my trousers are too tight and that I must go home and change,” 15-year-old Harriet Dale told Yahoo. “I know I’ve got slightly bigger legs than some people, it doesn’t need pointing out.”

As Blencowe worried that faculty members’ work would suffer, Harriet’s mom, Helen, worried her child’s academic performance could take a hit, as she’d spend time fussing over the fit of her pants instead of her school work.

That line of thinking is a common refrain among female students and parents across the globe. Students have pointed out that telling teen girls to cover up so as not to distract members of the opposite sex, they wind up feeling self-conscious and hyper-focused on their appearance. When an Alabama sophomore missed class for wearing leggings, her mother accused the school of prioritizing the male student’s education over her daughter’s education.

Blencowe stands by her dress code standards, noting that the 10 students in violation make up a small minority of 750 pupils at the school. “Our guidelines are clear. It is up to parents to make sure their child attends school wearing trousers which suit their shape,” Blencowe told Yahoo. "Trousers which fit one pupil may be too tight on another, we have to draw the line somewhere.”

Related stories on TakePart:


Missouri Lawmakers Suggest Intern Dress Code to Curb Sexual Harassment

See the Long-Sleeved Gown That Got a Plus-Size Teen Booted From Prom

Original article from TakePart