Dressed Down: CT High School Receives Backlash After Suspending 150 Students Over Dress Code

WATERBURY, CT — A Waterbury high school recently decided to crack down on what officials consider improper attire by suspending more than 150 students for violating dress code, according to media reports. The school has since received backlash and criticism for its actions.

The incident began when students at Wilby High School were called out of class over the loudspeakers dozens at a time, Eyewitness News 3 reported. Each student was ordered to sit out the next day of school for violating dress code.

School officials said students caught in the sweep were wearing items such as hoodie sweatshirts, sporting what officials consider “forbidden colors” or fell under other clothing violation, according to Eyewitness News 3.

One student even said she offered to remove her sweatshirt and be cold instead of facing suspension, according to the CT Post. She was allegedly told the suspension would only be for a day and she should “get over it.”

District officials later said the suspensions were wiped from students' records as most of the incidents were first violations, the CT Post reported. District rules indicate schools are supposed to issue lesser punishments for first violations.

Still the school is receiving backlash from activists who see the incident as a window into deeper issues at Wilby High School, the Hartford Courant reported. In fact, almost half of the entire student body received at least one suspension last year.

Some activists are concerned Wilby and other schools with a similar culture of discipline are favoring keeping students in line with school policy over academic performance, the Hartford Courant reported. District officials said they are making progress in reducing suspensions.

The incident has drawn the attention of the NAACAP, which has noted 84 percent of Wilby students are black or Hispanic while 84 percent of educators are white, as reported by the Hartford Courant. Officials are concerned the school's discipline rates reflect a lack of sensitivity toward students culturally by faculty.

The school also faces backlash internally, with one Waterbury Board of Education member citing these actions as against district policy, News 8 reported. Board Chief Operating Officer Bob Brenker told News 8 that students should get a written warning on a first offense, not a suspension.

Brenker further told News 8 the district is required to follow a four-step policy in disciplinary matters, in which the fourth step is suspension, as reported by News 8. Though suspensions were handed out on a Friday, the board did not find out until Monday after being called by a parent.

Some parents recognized the desire to enforce dress code as fair but also find suspension to be a harsh punishment, NBC Connecticut reported. One parent was concerned a student might not be dressed to code because they cannot afford it.

Patch file photo