Should Yoga Pants and Leggings Be Banned in Schools?

Patch File Photo

Dress codes exist at schools throughout the Commonwealth, and at Wilmington High School it’s no different.

However, as has been the case in many years, schools in various cities and towns throughout the state are banning the wearing of yoga pants and leggings, both of which are a staple in many young women’s wardrobes.

As the first day of school begins at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich, students will not be allowed to wear uncovered yoga pants or leggings, the Cape Cod Times in reporting Monday.

The decision, school Principal William Terranova told the Times is in addition to the school’s dress code policy and that these items can be worn if they are covered by shorts or a skirt. He goes on to say the ban on both yoga pants and leggings is to help prepare students at the school for the realities of the work world come graduation.

Over the past couple of years the issue of yoga pants and leggings in schools has become a hot topic with schools across the country making the call that they are simply not appropriate for a learning environment.

In February 2014, Rockport, MA middle and high school banned them after teachers said they were too distracting to other students. After several students were forced to change or sent home for more appropriate clothing, the school re-examined its policy and and dropped the ban.

In 2013, a middle school in Petaluma, CA prohibited students from wearing them, again saying they were distracting with the school’s principal saying “the appropriate attire contributes to a positive learning environment.”

While leggings and yoga pants aren’t banned in Wilmington, the dress code is pretty specific about what students are and are not allowed to wear to school.

A look at the student handbook outlines the dress code for high school student which includes students removing hats, including visors, hoods, bandanas, or other head coverings and outside coats and jackets by the start of the first period of the school day. When in the building, hats of any kind should be placed in the student’s locker. If a student has a hat in their possession, it is assumed by the administration that the hat is being worn during the day and the hat may be confiscated by an administrator. Metal chains or any other potentially dangerous accessories may not be worn in the building.

Clothing deemed inappropriate in a school environment in Wilmington includes: tank tops, half shirts, spaghetti straps, halter tops, tops or low cut bottoms that bare the midriff, any see-through articles of clothing and tops with low cut necklines. Shorts and skirts, mid-thigh or longer in length, may be worn. Any clothing, jewelry promoting behavior that is harmful is prohibited, such as, but not limited to, tee shirts displaying drug, alcohol, or tobacco products in their use. Also, shoes or appropriate footwear must be worn at all times.

View Wilmington High School’s Dress Code on Page 14 of the Student Handbook >>>

What do you think? Should leggings and yoga pants be banned in our public schools? Do you agree with those who say they are distracting? Tell us in the comments section below.