Gender bias in middle school?
I dropped my kids off at school this morning, and was greeted with a call from the school office no more than three minutes later. The woman on the other end of the line was irritated and annoyed … with ME.
“Mr. Orlando? I have Jordan [my 11-year-old daughter] in the office here. She is wearing clothing that is inappropriate for school. I’ll need you to pick her up and have her change before returning to the campus.”
Confused, I hung a U-turn, my mind whirring, trying to remember what she had been wearing that morning. Did I miss something and she threw her modesty to the wind, midriff exposed for the entire fifth grade class to see? Jordan is feisty … but most assuredly not trying to be “sexy.” By the time I reached the school, I’d remembered that she had on a normal (read: mid-thigh) pair of shorts, and a short-sleeved shirt that covered her torso completely.
I pulled into the parking lot, and was greeted with kids in fifth through eight grade making their way into school. As I approached the office, I noticed girls in “P.E. uniforms” (but the shorts looked like Daisy Dukes to me), and boys wearing the style du jour — athletic gear or baggy clothing … either of which were hanging so low, their underwear (not boxers — briefs) were in full view of anyone behind them.
I entered the office, and there sat my little girl … confused as to why she wasn’t allowed in school. Ahead of me in line was an eighth grade girl asking why SHE was being sent home for a bra strap showing (one inch of which was visible outside her tank top). After I reached the woman behind the counter, I learned that Jordan’s shorts were “1/2 an inch too high on her legs.” Rather than debate the hypocrisy I had just witnessed, I signed Jordan out and left.
What gives? Why are we allowing boys to dress like slobs, underwear showing, referring to girls as “bitches” (as I heard at least twice when walking up to the office), while girls must toe the line, measure their shorts with a microscope, and be wary of a rogue bra strap?
Originally posted at MomLogic.com – 6/2009
You also might want to check out:
- Middle-age Madness… In visiting and comparing life notes with friends and business colleagues, I’ve noticed something that is known by many, but seemingly commented on by few: men over 40 leaving unsuccessful marriages, and entering relationships with a younger woman—sometimes during the marriage, sometimes after it ends. Theories abound for the reasons—the...
- The expectation of divorce Something that continues to amaze me is the blatant acceptance of today’s broken household unit. And a few weeks ago, it moved beyond acceptance to expectation. My nine year-old daughter, Jordan, and I had a minor argument in the morning, and I’m not one to let bad situations linger. So,...