An El Paso middle school announced a ban on all-black clothing, starting this school year.
The decision, made by school officials at Charles Middle School, aims to create a more positive atmosphere for students who may be grappling with mental health according to a letter sent to the parents ahead of the school year, which started on Monday.
Citing a growing awareness of the impact of clothing choices on emotional well-being, the school believes that certain colors can influence mood, according to 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,” said Nick DeSantis, principal of the middle school in the letter sent to the parents.
The policy has sparked a variety of reactions within the community online. “How about they add mental health support instead of banning clothes?” said Ami Lucas in a Facebook post.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to have more or better resources available?!? With all tax money we pay I feel like it could happen,” said Kayla Blanch in a Facebook post.
DeSantis did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment from The Dallas Morning News.
An Aug. 2 message on the district website from Superintendent Diana Sayavedra stated, “School dress code policies have recently garnered community attention at a couple of schools. We see this as a valuable opportunity to foster a healthy engagement with the community in an effort to land on the values we share about safety and the success of students.”
Out of 6.3 million Texans aged 17 and younger, 1.4 million are reported to have a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental issue, which accounts for 23% of all youth in Texas, according to a 2021-22 study. According to the Census Bureau’s National Survey of Children’s Health, these issues include behavioral problems, conduct disorders, anxiety and depression.