Lakewood Schools: Ban on 'Hoodies' to Remain
More than 400 students and their parents have already signed an online petition looking to reverse the policy.
Despite an online petition to end the ban on hooded sweatshirts in the Lakewood City Schools, the district’s dress code policy will likely remain in place.
Kevin Bright, the district’s assistant superintendent, said that the board of education commissioned a study in 2004 to examine the issue, and OK'd the dress code shortly afterward.
"Some of the students who were misbehaving were attempting to conceal their identities by raising the hoods on their sweatshirts," he said.
"These students ran the gamut of leaving school and skipping class, getting into fights, and stealing the property of others. Additionally, students used the hoodies to conceal things they didn’t want the teachers or administrators to see."
He said the board has no plans to revisit the issue.
More than 400 students and their parents have already signed an online petition looking to reverse the policy.
Bright pointed out that students are allowed to wear coats with hoods to school, but once they arrive, they must remove the hood.
He said there are about three to four reports of students breaking the rule each school day.
"If they wear them, they will be disciplined, because we will uphold the Board policy in place," he said, noting that hoodies make up about half of the dress code violations in the district.
Students at Lakewood High School wrote a letter to Bright and other school officials asking that the policy be reversed.
“We feel that these rules are unjust, and unfair,” students penned in the letter.
“Most of us don't have jackets, or winter coats without hoods, and although winter jackets are allowed, hoodies are a cheaper solution to the expensive winter coat, and get the job done well.”
Should the district end its policy banning hooded sweatshirts? Take our poll.
ATS
1:22 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
I wonder how many of these kids who don't have coats have cell phones? Any parent who sends their kid to school in the middle of a Cleveland winter with a hoodie instead of a coat should probably evaluate a few things.
Steve
4:40 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
I wonder how many of these kids who don't have coats, are wearing $200.00 + shoes. Must be a sign of the times. And they use their parents/parent, food stamp card to buy soda, candy and snacks. Guess they don't need a coat for the winter, too strung up on sugar and building up that body fat..
Lin
12:17 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Winter coats can be found at decent prices...sometimes cheaper than hoodies. Hoodies are expensive. Try wearing a hat, you whiners.
Gina J.
7:57 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Winter coats are not cool when ur 15 years old. I have survived raising two teenage daughters and it was always about looking the part and the hoodie was the shiz. Get hip LW and trust that the kids wearing hoodies are only packing hair..
Charlene Hall
8:03 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
To all of the above, who obviously do not have children attending LHS, so therefore are clueless, they have to cross over Franklin Blvd to get to some of their classes which are held in Modulars. The mods have been there for several years and are not going anywhere for another several years, and they cannot wear their coats to class so the hoodies would be an alternative to the coat, by the way, all English and History classes are held in the mods, therefore each student has atleast 2 classes a day in the mods
Edger
8:28 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
@ ATS & Steve. Compassionate Republicans no doubt.
Dave
10:24 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
How about uniforms?
pmwxyz
1:40 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
I don't get this. When I was in high school decades ago, we wore whatever we wanted to in order to get to school comfortably. Then when IN school we removed coats, jackets, hoodies (yes, we had them then) and put them in our lockers and attended classes. (If you were chilly in class, you threw on a sweater.) Leaving school, the process was reversed. Don't students have lockers anymore? Hope some of the parents of high schoolers make this clear to me. Thanks!