An El Paso, Texas, middle school is facing some criticism after officials announced a new dress code policy that bars students from wearing all-black “from head to toe,” pointing to concerns over mental health.
The decision was announced by Charles Middle School Principal Nick DeSantis ahead of the school year which kicked off on Monday. The letter mentioned the school is prohibiting all-black attire due to its association “with depression and mental health issues and/ or criminality,” KFOX-TV and CBS4 reported.
The community criticized the new dress code online, questioning how the color of clothes has an impact on the children’s emotional well-being.
“Making students wear a different color isn’t going to magically make them a completely different person,” one person, Alexis Contreras, commented, per the outlets.
Some parents like Fabiola Flores, who already did school shopping, wish they were asked about the change before it was implemented, “We already bought the black pants, so we have to buy again, the pants. They should ask, they do like a ‘hey what do you think?’ like ‘we’re thinking about it,’” according to KDBC.
Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, clarified with USA TODAY on Wednesday that the middle school did not ban the use of the color black.
“Charles MS students wear a uniform and one of the school colors is black,” De La Rosa said in a statement. “They are allowed to wear black. The change was to not allow students to wear completely black from head to toe.”
“The intention is to ensure the physical and mental safety of their students and was initially initiated due to concerns observed by teachers at the end of the last school year,” she continued.
USA TODAY also reached out to the El Paso Independent School District and Principal DeSantis for comment.
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El Paso school officials respond to community concerns
The El Paso Independent School District released a statement to provide some insight into the policy and how it was created.
“Charles Middle School is updating its uniform policy to enhance students’ well-being and sense of pride,” the statement sent to CBS4 said. “This decision, carefully considered and approved by the Campus Improvement Team—comprising parents, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders—aims to foster a positive self-image among students and more effectively showcase the school’s colors and pride.”
It continued: “The dress code changes were a response to concerns and recommendations brought forward by the stakeholders of Charles Middle School. The school appreciates the community’s feedback and collaboration in making these changes.”
An Aug. 2 message posted on the district website from Superintendent Diana Sayavedra echoed those sentiments.
“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,” Sayavedra said. “We are committed to continuing this dialogue to strengthen our collaboration.”
According to De La Rosa, the school has put the policy on hold in light of the concerns.
“The campus and the district will be reviewing the proposed change and will make sure that the proper procedures are put in place to get feedback from all parties as to possible future changes,” she added.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
