Should Yoga Pants and Leggings Be Banned in Schools?

By LIZ TAURASI (Patch Staff)

Dress codes exist at schools throughout the Commonwealth, and at Danvers 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 reported 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, 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, Calif., 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 Danvers, the dress code is specific about what students are and are not allowed to wear to school,

A student’s appearance must be appropriate for the learning environment at school. The administration reserves the right to make decisions with regard to potential health and safety-related issues and send a students home if dress is inappropriate or distracting to the learning process.

The following are not to be worn to school:

• Tank tops
• Shirts with plunging neck lines
• Shirts that reveal any part of the midriff
• Skirts, shorts, and dresses that are NOT mid-thigh, or longer, in length
• Underwear that is visible (all pants should be “waist-appropriate”)
• Shirts with statements or graphics that promote or condone substance abuse or violence of ANY kind
• Clothing with profane or otherwise distasteful language
• Costumes of any kind
• Pajama pants
• Slippers or slippered shoes
• Hats including visors, hoods, bandanas, or other head-coverings
• Metal chains or items containing rivets or metal spikes
• Long chains or oversized clothing that hinders mobility or safety

View Danvers High School’s Dress Code on Page 32 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.