(PCM) Students at the Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto have banned together and organized “Crop Top Day” to protest their school’s dress code policy which does not allow female students to show bare midriffs. The situation came to light when student Alexi Halket was sent to the principals office because she was wearing a turquoise and black crop top that revealed her midriff and was told by the principal of the school that it was “too inappropriate and looked too much like a bra”.
Halket’s story was soon spread all over social media and female students everywhere, not just in Toronto, banned together to show their support. Hundreds of female students went to class dressed in crop tops with their own messages of empowerment fighting school dress codes written on the shirts. The students feel that the school dress code policies unfairly target women, as there is no issue when a male student takes off his shirt to run around in gym class.
Halket says that the movement is trying to teach women to love their bodies and appreciate them for what they are, even if there is a dress code in place. She questions why a female student should be sent home just because the male students cannot control themselves when they see the females outfit.
The principal of Halket’s school sat down with students the next day at lunch-time for a lengthy discussion about the school’s dress code policy and the protest occurred without an incidents or reprimanding from the school officials. The principal claims he is proud of the students for talking about what they hold important and feels that this type of critical thinking and open discussion is very important in schools.
