A Facebook post by a 16-year old Stittsville girl is again igniting a debate about school dress codes and how they are handled.
Marissa Cooper attends Sacred Heart High School. She posted a picture of herself on Facebook Wednesday after being told by one teacher she had violated the dress code. Marissa says she thought she met the regulations which include a requirement that tank top straps be at least 3 fingers wide at the front.
She says she was embarrassed when a teacher interrupted her in class, told her the straps weren't as wide as three of his much larger fingers and asked her to cover up her shoulders with a stuffed snake.
Marissa writes "personally, I do my best to dress conservatively at school. I understand it's a learning Catholic environment and not a music festival or beach party and I dress accordingly, as do most girls. However, the body part I was being told to cover up in this case was my shoulders!"
Her Facebook post has generated several comments, most of them supportive of Marissa. Many also feel the teacher’s actions were inappropriate
The school Principal, Alex Belloni, issued a terse statement saying only “This incident has been taken seriously at our school. All of us worked together to ensure our student, staff and parents were fully supported.”
Cooper says she wanted to speak out about the issue, but never intended to bring negative attention to the teacher in question. She says they have talked it over and he has apologized. She adds that he is one of her favourite teachers.
